Iran set to elect new supreme leader after Khamenei's son 'appointed'
Handover of power in Iran is underway (illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Despite reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, had already been chosen as the country's new leader, Iran is planning another vote to select its top leader, Sky News reports.
Iran's Assembly of Experts—a body made up of 88 members responsible for appointing the Supreme Leader—plans to convene soon to determine who will assume power in the country.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was eliminated on the first day of the US-Israel operation, leaving Iran headless. At the same time, the Supreme Leader has the final say on all state matters, holding both political and religious authority.
For now, Iran is temporarily governed by a triumvirate: Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's reformist president, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, hard-line head of the judiciary, and Alireza Arafi, jurist and head of the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force.
The opposition Iranian media reported that Mojtaba Khamenei had already been named the new Supreme Leader following Ali Khamenei's death. According to these reports, the Assembly had made the decision under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The potential consequences of such an appointment have been analyzed in detail here.
Khamenei's death
Ali Khamenei, Iran's longtime leader, was killed on February 28 during a strike by Israeli military forces. This operation triggered a power transition process in the country.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington intends to intervene in the election of Iran's new leadership. He explained that Mojtaba Khamenei does not meet US approval.
According to Trump, he has three candidates in mind for the country's new leader, though he has not revealed them publicly. He also noted that the worst-case scenario for Iran would be the rise to power of someone as ineffective as the current regime.
