An elite counterterrorism unit has been deployed to protect Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fox News Digital has learned.

The force, known as NOPO — Iran’s black-clad Counterterrorism Special Force — was assigned to safeguard the leader after a U.S.-Israel strike on a Tehran compound on Feb. 28 killed the elder Khamenei amid the start of Operation Epic Fury.

«With Khamenei gone, NOPO will likely now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei,» Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI said.

The NOPO force, formed in 1991, had the 28th Ruhollah (Khomeini’s first name) Division as its «nucleus», according to Safavi, and typically handles hostage rescue operations. «Its task was not to protect Khamenei,» he added.

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The history of the unit also includes deployments against internal security threats, and it has often been called on to suppress protests.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei on March 8, 2026, elevating him as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

His succession comes amid ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, but so far, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been heard from since the start of the conflict.

According to The Times of Israel, Iranian state television reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the war, with the reports yet unconfirmed.

«NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which translates into the Special Force to Protect the Supreme Leader,» Safavi further explained before clarifying that «Velayat is not necessarily the supreme leader, but the entirety of the regime.»

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Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is seen in Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 14, 2016.  (Reza B / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Over time, NOPO has evolved into a highly specialized unit distinct from the broader Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch established in 1979 to defend the Islamic Republic and its leadership from internal and external threats.

«The NOPO is composed of six brigades only. Four are stationed in Tehran, one in Mashhad and one in Isfahan,» Safavi said.

«They are far more lethal, ruthless and well-trained than the IRGC,» he claimed before describing how the brigade’s loyalty was to the Supreme Leader.

«This force was used for the protection of Khamenei,» Safavi continued. «They are very well-equipped. Khamenei did not trust any other security force for his protection.»

Safavi also said some members of the unit were likely killed in Ali Khamenei’s assassination but that the force remains fully operational.

«Some of the NOPO could have been killed when Khamenei was killed, but the fact is that they are now involved in the suppressive and security measures the regime has also undertaken in recent days to prevent any outbreak of protests,» Safavi said.

The elite force’s activities extend beyond personal protection in times of crisis, Safavi added.

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In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, tear gas is fired during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.  (UGC via AP)

«But in times of crisis, such as what happened during the January uprising, they were heavily involved in opening fire on the protesters,» he said.

This comes amid reports that hundreds of NOPO members have also been widely deployed around prisons in Iran that are holding political detainees.

«Hundreds of suppressive forces are widely deployed around the prison. In Ghezel Hesar Prison,» the NCRI said in a statement.

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following the bombing of a military center near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to their blankets, demanding their release under wartime conditions.

«Suppressive forces responded by firing tear gas into the ward,» the NCRI reported.

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Reports also indicated NOPO had taken control of Evin Prison in Tehran following the flight of regular prison officials amid intensified conflict.

In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on NOPO for its part in committing «serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing.»

A Minnesota Democrat whose retort to a Republican about potential «benefit[s] of shoplifting» during a hearing on worker misclassification defended the exchange as sarcasm gone awry.

During a Minnesota House Workforce and Labor Committee hearing this week, lawmakers reviewed information on how laws governing employee and independent contractor classifications affect insurance payments and other benefits, according to local reports.

State Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul, responded after a Republican lawmaker voiced concern that worker misclassification ultimately falls on the taxpayer.

«It is an intriguing line of questions,» Pinto said, appearing to suggest a study on the «benefit of shoplifting and retail theft.»

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Pinto spoke of a recent presentation before another committee he sits on that sought to address solutions to organized retail theft.

«And it actually had not occurred to me to ask — it probably would have been good — to make sure that they would study sort of the benefit of shoplifting, of retail theft since because perhaps people are relying on that and sort of using that maybe it’s you know assisting them in some way,» he said.

Pinto went on to describe whether people involved in such activities are considered to be violating the law, and that there may be a policy question at the root of such a discussion.

In comments to Fox News Digital, Pinto defended the remarks, saying he was reacting sarcastically to Rep. Isaac Schultz, R-Mille Lacs, who had posed the original question.

«My comments, intended to be sarcastic, followed a line of questioning from Republican Rep. Isaac Schultz suggesting a study is needed on whether the illegal practice of worker misclassification harms consumers,» Pinto said.

«As a prosecutor, of course I take retail theft and shoplifting seriously. Any insinuation to the contrary is absurd — just like Rep. Schultz’s remarks were.»

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Nonetheless, Pinto’s original comment was viewed thousands of times on social media and elicited responses from other lawmakers, amid ongoing scrutiny over social services fraud and other scandals in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

State Rep. Krista Knudsen, R-Lake Shore, was rendered speechless in a video response to the matter, as she put her hands to her face.

«There are no benefits to shoplifting for the people that are being shoplifted from. I have no idea what else to say,» Knudsen said. «I’m shocked, actually. I don’t even know what to say. Who — I don’t know what to say — Who benefits from shoplifting? The criminals.»

State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican from the Minneapolis area, appeared to cite her region’s nationally recognized scandals, saying she cannot believe the comment was made by Pinto.

«[W]e are trying to prevent fraud and prevent crime in Minnesota and this has been an issue that we’ve dealt with as a legislature for many years. We finally got the organized retail theft crime in statute last session,» she said.

«It’s been a long haul and that’s a tool that we need to crack down on this real problem throughout our communities around the state.»

Worker misclassification has been a focus of Democrat-Farmer-Labor lawmakers in the state legislature for some time, as an effort began in 2024 to ban employers from misclassifying employees.

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That policy was reportedly spurred by a construction worker who testified before lawmakers that he racked up major medical bills after a work-related injury, but his employer later only offered him a small amount for expenses and «told him to forget about insurance and to change his name and address, saying the bills would eventually disappear if nobody paid them,» according to a post on the House of Representatives website.

The man later allegedly found out his employer was misclassifying employees in order to save on labor costs, according to the lawmakers’ page.

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State Rep. Emma Greenman, D-Minneapolis, authored HF4444 to ensure businesses don’t act in such a way in the future and/or misclassify employees as contractors or the like.

«Our job is to ensure that Minnesota workers have the protections that we in law provide,» she said at the time.

Apremiado por lograr un final rápido de la guerra y controlar el impacto que el conflicto esta produciendo en el sistema energético mundial y especialmente entre los votantes norteamericanos, el presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, amenazó este martes con desatar “muerte, fuego y furia” sobre Irán si continúa interfiriendo en la circulación de petróleo por el estratégico estrecho de Ormuz.

Ese paso junto a la costa iraní, que en su segmento más estrecho tiene apenas tres kilómetros de ancho, es por donde circula un quinto de todo el petróleo que consume el planeta, una cantidad similar de gas licuado y 27 por ciento de todos los fertilizantes, un aspecto que ha disparado preocupación por el impacto en sector agropecuario.

Ormuz no está cerrado, pero la guerra lo ha hecho inconveniente y existen amenazas reiteradas de la Guardia Revolucionaria contra los buques cisterna. El régimen reaccionó con dureza y advirtió que “no permitirán la exportación de un solo litro de petróleo de la región a la parte hostil y sus aliados hasta nuevo aviso”, según el vocero esa fuerza militar iraní.

Trump el lunes llamó al líder ruso Vladimir Putin, un aliado y socio estratégico de Irán pero también cercano a la Casa Blanca, aparentemente por el grave problema del crudo. Este martes el líder ruso llamó al mandatario iraní, Massoud Pezeshkian y su canciller, Serguéi Lavrov, habló con el colega persa, Abbas Araghchi, con el mismo propósito mediador. Sin embargo el ministro iraní se mostró distante. Sostuvo en declaraciones públicas que EE.UU. e Israel no tienen “un final realista en mente” y remarcó que los ataques con misiles “continuaran el tiempo que sea necesario, hablar o negociar con EE.UU. ya no está en la agenda”.

Trump, furioso, afirmó que “si Irán hace algo que detenga el flujo de petróleo en el Estrecho de Ormuz, Estados Unidos lo golpeará veinte veces más fuerte que hasta ahora. Además, eliminaremos objetivos fácilmente destructibles que harán prácticamente imposible que Irán se reconstruya como nación. La muerte, el fuego y la furia reinarán sobre ellos”, escribió en su red Truth Social. Añadió: “¡Espero y rezo para que eso no suceda! Este es un regalo de EE.UU. a China y a todas las naciones que utilizan intensamente el Estrecho de Ormuz. Esperemos que sea un gesto muy apreciado”.

En otro mensaje elevó la amenaza al sostener que “si Irán ha colocado minas en el Estrecho de Ormuz, de lo cual no tenemos reportes, que las retire inmediatamente” de lo contrario “las consecuencias militares serán de niveles nunca antes vistos”.

El lunes, en la apertura de los mercados tras la primera semana de la guerra, el petróleo saltó a casi 120 dólares el barril, nivel sin precedentes desde 2020, y luego cayó a alrededor de 85 dólares después de que Trump dijo que la “guerra esta casi terminada”, un punto que desmintió este martes el premier israelí Benjamín Netanyahu.

Trump, sin embargo luego corrigió su declaración, para sostener que todavía queda mucho por hacer, de modo que el carburante volvió a subir, estacionándose en los 87,8 dólares, por encima de los valores previos al conflicto. Las declaraciones de Trump de este martes sobre Ormuz tranquilizaron al mercado, afirman los analistas, las bolsas subieron y el petróleo no se movió. Contribuyó a la calma un anunció del ministro de energía, Chris Wright, respecto a que los buques cisterna eran escoltados por la marina de EE.UU. Pero la Casa Blanca desmintió al funcionario.

EE.UU. e Israel atacaron Irán el sábado 28 de febrero cuando restaba una ronda crucial en las negociaciones nucleares con la potencia persa que debía realizarse el lunes. Washington argumentó que ese dialogo estaba fracasando, al revés de lo que señalaban los mediadores. En el ataque, el máximo líder iraní, ayatollah Alí Khamenei murió junto con parte del liderazgo del país. Khamenei fue reemplazado de inmediato por un triunvirato y esta semana por su hijo Mojtaba, un halcón del régimen, contrario a cualquier salida moderada.

Irán advirtió en estas horas que utilizará misiles aún más poderosos al tiempo que discutió como inútil por el momento cualquier negociación con Washington. La Guardia Revolucionaria, a su vez, rechazó las insistentes afirmaciones de EE.UU. de que su programa de misiles ha sido destruido y comentó que por le contrario está desplegando proyectiles en mayor cantidad y con ojivas que pesan más de una tonelada.

Irán ha lanzado ataques con drones y misiles contra países de toda la región, especialmente a infraestructuras energéticas, incluyendo yacimientos petrolíferos en Bahrein y Arabia Saudita. También golpeo hoteles y centros residenciales. Dos de sus misiles llegaron a Turquía pero los derribó la OTAN.

El ejército iraní afirma haber lanzado también un ataque con aviones sin piloto contra una refinería de petróleo y gas israelí y tanques de combustible en Haifa. Entre tanto, la noche del lunes al martes fue de las más feroces sobre Teherán. “Atacaron con fuerza. En nuestra casa solo se ven grietas en las paredes. Dormir se ha vuelto lo más difícil”, dijeron residentes a la BBC.

Fuente: AFP, AP, EFE y ANSA