- By Priyanka Koul
- Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:44 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A week after the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the clerical body responsible for appointing his successor has reportedly reached a consensus on the matter, according to Assembly of Experts member Mohsen Heydari, who spoke on Sunday. The ISNA news agency quoted him as saying that the most suitable candidate has been determined.
The most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Assembly of Experts, has been determined,” Mohsen Heydari was quoted as saying by Iran’s ISNA news agency.
On Saturday, a senior cleric in the Assembly of Experts stated that its members would meet "within one day" to choose the new leader. Iranian media reported that the group had a minor disagreement about whether their final decision should follow an in-person meeting, or if it could be issued without adhering to this formality, as reported by Reuters.
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, another member of the Assembly, stated in a video shared by Nournews on Sunday that an in-person meeting to finalise the vote was not feasible under the current conditions. He noted that a candidate had already been chosen, in line with the late supreme leader's guidance that the leader of Iran should "be hated by the enemy" rather than praised by it.
"Even the Great Satan (US) has mentioned his name," Heidari Alekasir said of the chosen successor, just days after US President Donald Trump referred to Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as an "unacceptable" choice for him.
After the death of Khamenei, tensions escalated further following a joint US-Israeli military strike on February 28, which targeted Iranian soil and resulted in the deaths of several key figures, including Khamenei. This attack provoked a furious response from Tehran, intensifying already existing hostilities between Iran, the US, and Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has declared its intention to pursue every successor to Iran’s Khamenei. As reported by Reuters, Israeli officials warned they would continue targeting any successor to Iran's next supreme leader. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) in Farsi, the Israeli military also cautioned that it would pursue anyone involved in appointing a successor for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referring specifically to the clerical body entrusted with making that decision.
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