Khamenei feels bad, Iran may have secretly chosen its next supreme leader

In the midst of a confrontation with Israel, Iran has a crisis at home. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is said to be seriously ill, and his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been chosen to lead the Shia Islamic nation. Reports say Mojtaba could take over even before his father’s death. This could have implications for Iran given the situation in West Asia.

Iran International reported that Mojtaba Khamenei had been secretly elected to lead Iran as its Supreme Leader. The report by Iran International, a Persian-language media outlet with links to Iranian rebels, was cited by Ynet News.

The report by Iran International comes just weeks after The New York Times reported on a secret battle in Iran to succeed Ali Khamenei as supreme leader.

Ali Khamenei is 85 and his health condition has been deteriorating for some time now.

He appeared in public on October 4 with a rifle at his side to address Iranians and lead prayers for Hasan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah chief who was killed in an Israeli strike.

Iran International claimed in its report that a surprise meeting was called on September 26 among the 60 members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts on the orders of Ali Khamenei.

The members of the assembly were asked to immediately decide on his successor.

“Despite initial opposition to both the decision and the process, the assembly ultimately reached a unanimous agreement to appoint Mojtaba as the successor after the insistence of the leader and his representatives, which reportedly included direct threats,” YNet News reported, citing the Persian media. .

It was threats that helped keep the meeting and its outcome secret for five weeks, according to the reports.

WHY IRAN’S LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION MAY OVERCOME UNCERTAINTY AND STRUGGLE

After Ayatollah Khomeini’s death in 1989, the succession process was relatively unopposed. There were five factors behind it.

The presence of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who could unite centre-right and left-wing officials. He was the kingmaker according to Iran International.

After he decided, Khamenei’s rise, there was little opposition.

But Khamenei’s successor would face a more difficult succession. There is no one like Rafsanjani in the center of power at the moment, and many close to Khamenei’s center of power are even unenthusiastic about the Iranian people.

Khamenei had been groomed as Khomeini’s successor and was president before becoming Iran’s supreme leader.

While Ebrahim Raisi had been cleared for the job, his death in a helicopter crash in Azerbaijan on 19 May 2024 further complicated the issue of succession in Iran.

President Donald Trump’s ouster of Qasem Soleimani in 2020 also played this role, which had kingmaker potential.

High officials have been isolated and no centers of power have emerged.

Both political and social movements are also active, such as protests after Mahasa Amini was killed in custody.

WHO IS MOJTABA KHAMENEI

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was born in 1969 in Mashhad in northeastern Iran. He pursued theology under the wing of his father and other eminent scholars. Now he is a clergyman and teaches theology at the Qom seminary.