NYT: Iran has not yet elected a new supreme leader, but Mojtaba Khamenei is the leading candidate

Iranʼs Assembly of Experts has not yet elected the countryʼs new supreme leader, but the main contender is considered to be 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

This was reported by The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials.

According to the publication, the spiritual leaders who make up Iranʼs Assembly of Experts, which is responsible for electing the Supreme Leader, held two online meetings on March 3 — in the morning and in the evening. After these consultations, Mojtaba Khamenei became the clear favorite.

Yesterday, March 3, sources for Iran International TV channel stated that a decision in his favor had allegedly been made. This was responded to by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who warned that any Iranian leader who continues the current policy could become a new target for elimination.

Mojtaba Khamenei is considered an influential but unpublic figure who has long operated in his fatherʼs shadow. According to NYT sources, Mojtaba has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which actively supports his candidacy. Supporters of the appointment say that he has experience coordinating security forces during crises.

Other candidates for the position include Alireza Arafi and Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini. According to the NYT, both are considered more moderate politicians, with Hassan Khomeini having ties to the reformist wing of Iranian politics.

• Iranʼs Assembly of Experts, made up of 88 Shiite clerics elected in a nationwide election, is constitutionally empowered to appoint, monitor and even remove the supreme leader. The last time a new leader was elected was in 1989, when the assembly appointed Ali Khamenei.

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