Mojtaba Khamenei, eldest son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, emerges as the main candidate to become the next supreme leader of Iran. According to a report by The New York Times, three Iranian authorities stated that the council of experts in the Assembly of Experts, responsible for choosing the new supreme leader, had appointed Mojtaba as the favorite for the position.
Sources consulted by the American newspaper indicated that the announcement could happen as early as this Wednesday morning (4). However, some members of the Assembly of Experts reportedly expressed reservations about his appointment, fearing that he would become a potential target for attacks by the United States and Israel.
The Assembly of Experts has held virtual meetings to discuss the succession. On Tuesday (3), the group met twice. The decision to hold the meetings remotely came after Israel launched one where the in-person meeting would take place, although the place was empty at the time.
The strategy of holding virtual meetings was adopted as a precautionary measure to prevent new Iranian leadership from being attacked. The succession process takes place at a time of great geopolitical tension in the region, with Iran facing significant external pressure and the need to maintain internal stability during the transition of power.
What is happening in the Middle East?
The ayatollah regime began retaliation against countries in the Middle East that host North American military bases, including: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.
On Sunday, Iranian state media announced that its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was one of the victims of US and Israeli attacks.
Following the announcement of Khamenei’s death, Iran threatened to launch the “heaviest offensive” in history. The Iranian president, , stated that the Persian country considers taking revenge for the attacks by Israel and the United States as a “legitimate right and duty”.
In response, Trump threatened Iran against retaliatory strikes, saying “they better not do this, because if they do, we will hit them with force never seen before.” The attacks between the parties continue this Sunday.
