Assassination fear: Iran’s leader Khamenei chooses three successors, skips son

Ayatollah

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly handpicked three potential successors in case he is killed during Israel’s ongoing military campaign — a revelation that signals unprecedented urgency inside Tehran’s highest ranks.

According to an investigative report by The New York Times on Saturday, the 86-year-old Supreme Leader, now operating from a fortified bunker, privately named three senior clerics to assume power should he die during the conflict.

The Times cites “senior Iranian officials” who say Khamenei made the selections after a string of high-level assassinations by Israeli forces.

Significantly, Khamenei’s influential son, Mojtaba, long rumoured to be groomed for succession, was not included in the list.

This marks a dramatic shift from years of speculation that a dynastic handover was being engineered behind the scenes, Jerusalem Post also reports on Saturday.

“Khamenei has nominated three clerics as potential successors while hiding in a bunker… Mojtaba is not among them,” reported The New York Times, citing confidential Iranian sources close to the leadership.

Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post corroborated the report, noting that the Supreme Leader has also “selected replacements down his military chain of command” in anticipation of further Israeli strikes that could decimate his inner circle. Punch