Iran’s Assembly of Experts is expected to meet within 24 hours to select a new supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a member of the clerical body cited by Iranian media.
Ayatollah Ahmad Mozafari, a member of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, said representatives were awaiting deliberations to choose a successor to Khamenei.
“Representatives of the people in the Assembly of Experts are eagerly awaiting discussions on selecting a new leader and successor to the imam,” Mozafari said, according to Iranian media aligned with the government. “We have strong hope that, with God’s help, this will be done within the next 24 hours.”
Mozafari urged the public to avoid speculation about the decision before the assembly convenes.
“Given that no public assembly has yet been held and no vote has taken place, our request is to avoid speculation and the spreading of rumors on this matter,” he said.
The assembly is responsible under Iran’s constitution for appointing the country’s supreme leader when the position becomes vacant. The leader holds ultimate authority over the state, including command of the armed forces and final say on foreign and domestic policy.
Among the leading candidates widely discussed by analysts is Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is considered part of the same ultraconservative camp as his father and has built close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, one of the most powerful institutions in Iran. Although he has never held an official government position, he is widely seen as wielding influence within the leadership circle and teaches Shiite theology at a seminary in the city of Qom, the center of Iran’s religious establishment.
Analysts say he has long been viewed as a potential successor, though his appointment would be controversial because it could appear to transfer power from father to son in a system founded after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew Iran’s monarchy.
His candidacy has drawn renewed attention following the killing of his father during Operation Roaring Lion, the war between Iran and Israel that began a week ago. According to reports, Mojtaba survived the initial strike in Tehran that killed his father but lost several close family members in the attack.
If chosen, he would immediately become the most powerful figure in the Islamic Republic. The supreme leader oversees the military and security services, while the Revolutionary Guards report directly to him.
So far, Iran’s leadership has not made a formal announcement about the succession process or confirmed who will be selected. Analysts say security concerns and the ongoing war could influence both the timing of the decision and how it is announced publicly.