As tensions between Iran and Israel reach alarming heights, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly selected three senior clerics as potential successors, deliberately excluding his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, from the shortlist.
According to a report by The New York Times, citing unnamed senior Iranian officials, the 86-year-old cleric made the decision from a secure underground bunker in Tehran. The move is seen as a direct response to recent Israeli airstrikes that have targeted and killed top-ranking Iranian military officials, shaking the core of the Islamic Republic’s power structure.
No Dynastic Succession
Surprisingly, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who had long been rumored to be groomed for leadership, was not among the selected candidates. This omission signals a significant departure from assumptions of a dynastic succession plan.
“Khamenei has nominated three clerics as potential successors while hiding in a bunker… Mojtaba is not among them,” The New York Times quoted an Iranian insider as saying.
The Jerusalem Post corroborated the report, adding that Khamenei has also begun reshuffling and appointing replacements in key military and intelligence positions amid the heightened security threat.
Succession Amid Crisis
Under the Iranian Constitution, the Supreme Leader is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member council of senior Islamic scholars. However, Khamenei’s preemptive move to name successors himself indicates a desire to steer the transition personally, possibly to ensure ideological continuity or prevent internal discord within the clerical establishment.
“This is no longer just succession planning on paper, it’s happening in real-time, under fire,” a regional intelligence official reportedly told The New York Times.
Israeli Strikes Heighten Urgency
The succession discussions have gained urgency following a series of Israeli strikes that reportedly eliminated key Iranian figures. Among those killed are top IRGC commanders Hossein Salami and Gholam Ali Rashid, as well as several nuclear scientists during a June 13 air raid.
As of June 17, Reuters confirmed Salami’s death in an Israeli operation, while Iranian media revealed the arrest of 22 individuals suspected of espionage for Israel.
Mojtaba’s Exclusion Sends a Clear Signal
Mojtaba Khamenei has often been seen as the de facto number two in the Iranian power structure. A senior cleric with political clout and a growing influence in Iran’s intelligence network, he was widely expected to succeed his father.
But his exclusion appears to be a calculated move to disprove any claims of hereditary rule, an idea that has long been controversial in the Islamic Republic.
“Mojtaba’s exclusion is a message: no dynasty here,” reported the Times of India.
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