by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JERUSALEM/TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Iran’s powerful Assembly of Experts has reportedly chosen Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next supreme leader amid the escalating war involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Informed sources told opposition broadcaster Iran International that Mojtaba Khamenei was selected under pressure from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) following emergency deliberations by the clerical body responsible for appointing the nation’s highest authority.
The 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, the second-oldest son of Ali Khamenei, is widely believed to have cultivated close ties with the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s most powerful military force.
The Assembly of Experts reportedly convened in the religious city of Qom to select a successor after Ali Khamenei was killed Saturday in U.S.–Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s leadership.
SUCCESSION AMID WAR
The Assembly of Experts is constitutionally tasked with appointing — and if necessary removing — Iran’s supreme leader, the highest political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic.
The reported appointment would mark the first time leadership of Iran’s theocratic system has effectively passed from father to son, a development critics say resembles dynastic succession rather than the revolutionary principles on which the Islamic Republic was founded.
Iranian officials have not immediately confirmed the reports, and details surrounding the decision remained limited amid the ongoing conflict.
Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, is expected to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad, according to Iranian news agency Fars.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has said a large public ceremony will precede the funeral, though the date has not yet been announced.
AHMADINEJAD SURVIVES ATTEMPT
Meanwhile, sources told Iran International that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad survived an apparent assassination attempt earlier this week.
The sources said Ahmadinejad was not harmed and had been moved to a secure location.
During Israel’s attacks over the weekend, Iranian media carried conflicting reports about Ahmadinejad’s fate, with some outlets claiming he had been killed while others said they could not confirm the reports.
Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the alleged assassination attempt.
OPERATION EPIC FURY
The leadership turmoil comes as the United States and Israel continue a massive military campaign against Iran.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Operation Epic Fury, launched over the weekend, has struck nearly 2,000 targets across Iran, severely degrading the country’s military capabilities.
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the campaign has also destroyed 17 Iranian naval vessels — including a submarine — though the figures could not be independently verified.
Iran has responded with large-scale retaliatory attacks using ballistic missiles and drones against Israel and U.S. military targets across the region.
Analysts warn the leadership transition in Tehran — combined with the ongoing war — could further destabilize the Middle East and increase the risk of a broader regional conflict.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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