Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Names Mojtaba Khamenei As His Successor Amid Deteriorating Health

International

-Gaurav Sharma

Updated: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 17:40 [IST]

Reports
from
Iran
indicate
that
Mojtaba
Khamenei,
the
second
son
of
Supreme
Leader
Ali
Khamenei,
has
been
chosen
as
his
successor.
The
85-year-old
leader
is
reportedly
in
poor
health
and
might
step
down,
allowing
Mojtaba
to
take
over
while
he
is
still
alive.
This
information
comes
from
ynetnews,
referencing
Iran
International,
a
media
outlet
linked
to
Iranian
regime
opponents.

Ali
Khamenei
has
been
Iran’s
Supreme
Leader
since
1989,
succeeding
Ruhollah
Khomeini.
His
tenure
of
35
years
makes
him
the
longest-serving
head
of
state
in
the
Middle
East.
He
survived
an
assassination
attempt
in
June
1981
after
the
Iranian
revolution,
which
left
his
right
arm
paralyzed.

Secrecy
Surrounding
Succession

The
succession
process
was
conducted
with
extreme
secrecy
due
to
concerns
about
potential
public
unrest.
On
September
26,
sixty
members
of
Iran’s
Assembly
of
Experts
gathered
at
Khamenei’s
request
to
make
a
swift
decision
on
his
successor.
They
were
instructed
to
maintain
strict
confidentiality
regarding
the
meeting
and
its
outcomes.

Despite
their
reservations
about
both
the
decision
and
the
procedure,
assembly
members
unanimously
selected
Mojtaba
as
the
next
leader.
Reports
from
News
18
suggest
that
they
were
pressured
by
Khamenei
and
his
representatives,
with
threats
allegedly
being
used
to
ensure
compliance.

Potential
Retaliation
and
Threats

The
situation
is
unfolding
amid
tensions
between
Iran
and
Israel.
Following
Israeli
airstrikes
on
October
27,
it
was
reported
that
Ayatollah
Ali
Khamenei
was
gravely
ill
and
that
succession
discussions
had
already
started.
There
are
speculations
that
Israel
might
target
Iran’s
Supreme
Leader
next.

Khamenei
holds
significant
power
as
Iran’s
Supreme
Leader.
He
is
not
only
the
head
of
state
but
also
commands
the
armed
forces
and
has
ultimate
authority
over
government
policies.
In
2003,
he
issued
a
fatwa
prohibiting
weapons
of
mass
destruction
in
relation
to
Iran’s
nuclear
program.

The
possibility
of
retaliatory
strikes
against
Israel
is
reportedly
being
considered
by
Iran.
Meanwhile,
Mojtaba
Khamenei,
aged
55,
is
seen
as
a
probable
successor
amidst
these
developments.

The
assembly
members
were
warned
about
severe
consequences
if
any
details
of
their
meeting
were
leaked.
This
highlights
the
level
of
secrecy
maintained
during
this
critical
transition
phase
in
Iran’s
leadership.