Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Picks Possible Successors Amid Israel’s Assassination Threats, Excludes Son, Says Report

Saturday June 21, 202|

By Idorenyin UMOREN

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly named three clerics as possible successors while taking shelter in a bunker amid assassination threats from Israel during the ongoing conflict, according to The New York Times.

The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials familiar with the development, reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has begun appointing replacements for top military commanders who were killed in Israeli strikes.

Interestingly, contrary to earlier reports, the officials said Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, is not among the clerics shortlisted to succeed him – despite previous claims that he was being groomed for the role.

According to The New York Times report, Khamenei, 86, is aware of the possibility that Israel or the United States might attempt to assassinate him — an act he would view as martyrdom, according to Iranian officials.

In light of this threat, Khamenei has taken the rare step of directing the Assembly of Experts – the clerical body tasked with selecting Iran’s next supreme leader – to act swiftly and choose a successor from the three names he has personally put forward.

Under normal circumstances, the process of appointing a new supreme leader can take months, involving intense deliberations and multiple candidates. But with the country now at war, officials told NYT that Khamenei wants to ensure a rapid and controlled transition to safeguard both the Islamic Republic and his legacy.