Iran assembly says consensus reached on Khamenei’s successor as Israel threatens to target clerics
Name withheld amid security fears after US strikes killed supreme leader; senior member says candidate chosen based on advice he should ‘be hated by the enemy’
TEHRAN, Iran — March 8, 2026 — Iran’s Assembly of Experts has finalized a decision on a successor to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior clerics said Sunday, though the name is being withheld amid security concerns as Israel warns it will target anyone involved in the selection process .
A majority consensus over a successor has “more or less been reached,” Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri, a member of the 88-member clerical body, was quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency . He added that “some obstacles” remain to be addressed and that the work must be accurate to avoid controversy .
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Ahmad Alamolhoda, another assembly member, went further, telling Mehr that the leadership vote had already taken place and a successor had been chosen. “All rumors and reports suggesting that the Assembly of Experts has not yet made a decision are completely false,” Alamolhoda said .
He said under Iran’s Constitution, no one, including assembly members, has the right to change their vote once the decision is made. The announcement depends on Ayatollah Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, who is responsible for officially communicating the assembly’s decision to the public .
Candidate selected under extraordinary circumstances
The selection comes just over a week after Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 37 years, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28 at the outset of the war that has now engulfed much of the Middle East . More than 1,200 people, including top military officials, have been killed and over 10,000 others injured in the attacks, according to Iranian official data .
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, another assembly member, said in a video released by Nournews on Sunday that an in-person meeting by the assembly for a final vote was not possible under current conditions . Since the war began, Israeli and US strikes have killed dozens of officials and commanders, with Iranian media reporting on Tuesday that strikes flattened an auxiliary building of the Assembly of Experts in the city of Qom .
Heidari Alekasir said the candidate had been picked based on the late supreme leader’s advice that Iran’s top leader should “be hated by the enemy” instead of praised by it .
“Even the Great Satan [the US] has mentioned his name,” the senior cleric said of the chosen successor, days after US President Donald Trump said Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was an “unacceptable” choice for him .
Speculation points to Mojtaba Khamenei
Foreign media reports suggest that Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late leader, is the strong candidate for the succession . The Chosun Ilbo, citing AFP, Le Monde and The Times of Israel, reported that the successor was elected by “unanimous consent” and that speculation points to Mojtaba due to security concerns delaying the name’s disclosure .
The New York Times reported earlier this week, citing three Iranian officials familiar with the discussions, that the assembly held two virtual meetings on Tuesday to deliberate on the succession, with Mojtaba emerging as the clear front-runner but no formal announcement made . According to the New York Times, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pushed for Mojtaba’s appointment, arguing that he possesses the qualifications needed to guide Iran through the current crisis .
Mojtaba, a mid-ranking hard-line cleric, is known for his close ties to the IRGC and has long operated behind the scenes within the Office of the Supreme Leader. He was not in Tehran when his father was killed by air strikes early in the war, an Iranian source told Reuters .
Vali Nasr, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University, described Mojtaba as a surprising yet telling choice. “He was slated to become the successor for a long time. But for the past two years, it seemed to have dropped off from the radar. If he is elected, it suggests it is a much more hard-line Revolutionary Guard side of the regime that is now in charge,” Nasr told the New York Times .
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However, Iranian authorities have previously denied reports of Mojtaba’s appointment. The Consulate General of Iran in Mumbai posted on X on March 4 that such reports have no official source and are “officially denied” .
Israel vows to target successors
The Israeli military, meanwhile, issued a direct threat to the assembly members involved in selecting a new leader. “We warn all those who intend to participate in the successor selection meeting that we will not hesitate to target you either. This is a warning!” the Israeli military said in Persian in a post on X on Sunday .
In a separate warning, Israeli officials said they would pursue every successor to Iran’s next supreme leader and anyone involved in appointing a successor for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
Heidari Alekasir responded that targeting the assembly would only benefit Iran’s enemies and “harm the revolution.” “This is an extraordinary situation, the assembly cannot meet in a plenary,” he said, suggesting remote and written alternatives for any remaining formalities .
Trump demands involvement
US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he must be personally involved in selecting Iran’s next leader, the US news website Axios reported . Trump said many figures previously seen as potential Iranian leaders had been killed in recent strikes .
“Pretty soon we’re not going to know anybody,” Trump said in Washington. Asked about a worst-case scenario, he added: “I guess the worst case would be we do this and somebody takes over who’s as bad as the previous person. Right, that could happen. We don’t want that to happen” .
Trump specifically named Mojtaba Khamenei as an “unacceptable” choice, warning he would reject such an option .
Constitutional process and historical context
Under the Iranian constitution, it is the Assembly of Experts that is authorised to choose the country’s supreme leader . This marks only the second time in the Islamic Republic’s 47-year history that the body will select a leader. In 1989, it chose Ali Khamenei following the death of the revolution’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini .
The assembly faced a minor disagreement over whether their final decision must follow an in-person meeting or instead be issued without adhering to this formality . Given the security situation, remote and written alternatives are being considered .
Heidari Alekasir expressed hope for public acceptance of the decision. “The delay in electing the third leader is bitter and unwanted for everyone, and there is no alternative, so we should not have bad thoughts about our representatives at this difficult time,” he said .
The Assembly of Experts has reached consensus on a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with senior clerics confirming a candidate has been chosen based on the late leader’s guidance that Iran’s top leader should be hated by its enemies. The name remains withheld amid security concerns as Israel threatens to target those involved in the selection and US President Donald Trump demands a personal role in the process.
The choice, reportedly made without an in-person meeting due to ongoing strikes, represents a critical moment for the Islamic Republic as it navigates both a leadership transition and a widening war that has already killed more than 1,200 people. For a region watching closely, the coming days will reveal whether the new leader can unify a nation under fire.
With inputs from
1 Xinhua: Iran’s Assembly of Experts makes decision on new supreme leader — media
2 BERNAMA: IRAN’S ASSEMBLY OF EXPERTS SELECTS NEW SUPREME LEADER, NAME YET TO BE ANNOUNCED
3 Al Jazeera: Iran’s Assembly of Experts says consensus reached on Khamenei’s successor
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