As war escalates between Iran and Israel, 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 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
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 shift from the regime leadership succession structure.
“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.
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