Iran’s Assembly of Experts Nears Decision on Supreme Leader
News Desk
Tehran: Iran’s powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, is close to reaching a final decision on the country’s next Supreme Leader following the killing of Ali Khamenei, according to senior members of the assembly.
Speaking on Sunday, Iranian cleric Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri said the assembly has reached a near-majority consensus on a successor, though “some obstacles” remain before a formal announcement can be made. The remarks were reported by the Iranian news agency Mehr News Agency.
A senior member of the assembly had earlier indicated that the body could convene “within a day” to elect a new leader.
Iranian media also quoted two other assembly members, Mohsen Heydari-Elixir and Ahmad al-Mawloudeh, as confirming that a decision regarding the successor has been reached. Al-Mawloudeh said the head of the assembly’s secretariat, Hashem Hosseini-Busheri, would formally announce the decision.
However, discussions are ongoing over whether the announcement requires a physical meeting of assembly members or whether the process can be completed remotely due to the extraordinary circumstances facing the country.
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In a video released by Noor News, Heydari-Elixir said holding a full in-person meeting is currently difficult and suggested that a remote or written procedure could be adopted. “This is an extraordinary situation,” he said, warning that gathering all members in one place could expose them to potential attacks.
The leadership transition comes amid heightened tensions after Israeli and US strikes in Iran since February 28 reportedly killed dozens of senior officials and military commanders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian media also reported that a support building linked to the Assembly of Experts in the city of Qom was destroyed in the attacks.
Heydari-Elixir added that the selection process considered the late leader’s guidance that Iran’s future Supreme Leader should remain firm against the country’s adversaries.
Speculation about potential successors has intensified in recent days. Among the names frequently mentioned is Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader, who has long been viewed as an influential cleric with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Earlier, Donald Trump suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei could be considered as a successor but described such a choice as “unacceptable.”
According to media reports, the 56-year-old cleric was not in Tehran when the airstrikes that triggered the current conflict began. Mojtaba Khamenei has been widely regarded as a potential successor for years due to his behind-the-scenes influence in his father’s office.
Ali Khamenei had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, following nearly eight years as the country’s president.
Mojtaba Khamenei also faced criticism during nationwide protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022, when security forces carried out a crackdown on demonstrators across the country.
