Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly handpicked three senior clerics as potential successors, excluding his influential son Mojtaba Khamenei, amid escalating fears of Israeli assassination strikes, according to multiple media reports including The New York Times and The Jerusalem Post.
Sources close to Tehran’s leadership revealed that the 86-year-old Supreme Leader, now said to be operating from a fortified bunker, made the unprecedented move as Israeli air and covert operations target the highest ranks of Iran’s military and nuclear command.
“This is not theory. It is succession planning under fire,” a senior intelligence official told The New York Times, citing Iran’s belief that a leadership decapitation strike by Israel is a real and imminent threat.
Notably Absent: Mojtaba Khamenei
The decision not to include Mojtaba Khamenei—long rumored to be groomed for succession—signals a clear departure from expectations of dynastic rule. Analysts say the omission sends a deliberate message that Iran will not pursue hereditary leadership in the post-Khamenei era.
“Mojtaba’s exclusion is a message: no dynasty here,” wrote The Times of India on June 21, 2025.
Instead, the three unnamed clerics reportedly reflect the regime’s desire for ideological continuity within the hardline establishment, possibly sidelining Iran’s constitutional body for leader selection, the Assembly of Experts, in the process.
Escalating Israeli Strikes Drive Urgency
This shift in succession planning comes amid a string of Israeli operations that have killed top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders and nuclear scientists. According to Reuters, IRGC chief Hossein Salami was killed in a strike on June 17, while Tasnim News reported the arrest of 22 alleged Mossad informants.
“Iran is acting under the assumption that decapitation strikes are imminent,” The Jerusalem Post stated.
Geopolitical Risks Rising
Khamenei’s preemptive move has raised concerns about Iran’s internal stability and the possibility of crisis-driven leadership transition. While the Assembly of Experts holds formal authority to appoint the next Supreme Leader, Khamenei’s chosen clerics may effectively steer the process.
“The Assembly may still have formal power, but Khamenei’s choices could shape succession beyond the grave,” The Financial Times warned.
With the Middle East on edge, global powers are closely watching how Tehran’s elite navigate this high-stakes power shift under the shadow of conflict.
