Iran may be close to naming its next supreme leader, according to comments made by a senior cleric on Wednesday. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, who is a member of the Assembly of Experts, said the process of selecting the countryโs next leader has reached an advanced stage. The Assembly of Experts is the body responsible for appointing the Supreme Leader.ย
“The options have become clear,” he said in a statement aired on state television.
At the same time, Iranian state media reported that a planned mourning ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been postponed. The event, which was expected to take place in Mashhad, will now be held at a later date amid ardent strikes by US and Israel.ย
Mojtaba Khamenei tipped to be Iran’s new Supreme Leader
Mojtaba Khamenei is likely to be selected as Iranโs new Supreme Leader, following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The appointment will be confirmed by Iranโs Assembly of Experts after several days of uncertainty over who would succeed the long-serving leader.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 in US-Israeli strikes, according to official reports. His death has led to a significant moment in the history of the Islamic Republic, triggering only the second leadership transition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Ayatollah Khamenei had ruled Iran since 1989 and was the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East at the time of his death. He took over the position after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.
Iranian regime crushed under Trump, says White Houseย Press Secretaryย
Meanwhile, Israel and the United States have significantly escalated their military campaign against Iran, launching coordinated missile and air strikes on Tehran and other targets. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly defended the campaign, saying that under President Trumpโs leadership the Iranian regime was being utterly crushed and that previous US administrations were too weak and ineffective to confront Iranโs threats.
“Under the leadership of President Donald J Trump, the rogue Iranian terrorist regime is being absolutely crushed. 47 years of tolerating and enabling the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism are over… These terrorists seized our embassy and took 66 Americans hostage in Tehran… Prior leaders have been too weak and ineffective to address this threat. Some, like Barack Hussein Obama, even sent pallets of cash that ultimately financed this terrorist crusade against the United States and our people, while signing stupid and naive deals that put Iran on the path of developing nuclear bombs… President Trump is holding these monsters accountable and permanently extinguishing their nuclear ambitions,” she said.ย