Khamenei was killed in a bombing raid last week following targeted strikes by the U.S. and Israel on his compound in Tehran, Iran’s capital. His death brought an end to his nearly 37-year tenure as supreme leader.
Justifying the attacks as a defensive measure, Israel acted preemptively for its protection. U.S. President Donald Trump, amidst ambiguous signals from the White House regarding the war’s rationale and objectives, declared on Friday that the main aim is the “unconditional surrender” of Iran’s leaders.
Despite ongoing strikes, Tehran is moving forward in appointing Khamenei’s successor. On Sunday, Iran’s Mehr news agency stated that the Assembly of Experts, responsible for choosing the next leader, had made a decision, though the name remains undisclosed.
Ahmad Alamolhoda, a member of the Assembly of Experts, was quoted by Mehr saying, “The vote to appoint the leader has taken place and the leader has been chosen.” The secretariat of the body will reveal the chosen name later.
The responsibility for announcing the decision lies with Ayatollah Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, head of the assembly’s secretariat. According to a selection panel member, Reuters reported that one key criterion for the next leader is that they should “be hated by the enemy.”
This decision by the assembly comes amidst the continuing conflict, which has extended into the Persian Gulf region, with Tehran targeting U.S. and Israeli military bases across the Middle East using drones and missiles. On Sunday, Iran also struck fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport and impaired a desalination plant in Bahrain, AFP reported.
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