Tehran, Iran — Iran’s clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s highest political and religious authority says it has agreed on a new supreme leader, although the name of the chosen figure has not yet been made public.
The decision was taken by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member constitutional body that holds the authority to select and oversee Iran’s supreme leader. The move follows the death of Iran’s longtime leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a United States and Israeli military strike on the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Friday, February 28, 2026, during the opening phase of the current war involving Iran and Israel.
Okay News reports that the announcement came as fighting between Iran and Israel intensified across the Middle East over the weekend, raising concerns about regional stability and the future direction of Iran’s leadership.
Mohsen Heydari, a member of the Assembly of Experts, said the body had completed its deliberations and agreed on a candidate.
“The most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Assembly of Experts, has been determined,” he said on Sunday.
Another cleric involved in the decision-making process, Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, also confirmed that the selection process had concluded.
In a video message circulated by Iranian media outlets, Mirbagheri said “a firm opinion reflecting the majority view has been reached”.
The identity of the chosen successor has not yet been disclosed publicly. However, Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir suggested that the individual selected is likely to be someone opposed by the United States.
He said the “Great Satan” – a term commonly used by Iran’s leadership to refer to the United States – may have unintentionally influenced the assembly’s decision by criticising certain possible candidates.
Heidari Alekasir appeared to be referring to remarks by former United States President Donald Trump, who recently said it would be unacceptable if clerics selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, as the next leader of the Islamic Republic.
“Someone opposed by the enemy is more likely to benefit Iran and Islam,” Heidari Alekasir said.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a 56-year-old cleric and the second son of the late leader, had emerged in recent days as an early potential successor. However, analysts say his appointment is not guaranteed.
Critics argue that appointing the late leader’s son could deepen accusations that Iran’s political system concentrates power among a small group of elites. Human rights organisations have also accused the Iranian authorities of killing at least 7,000 people during recent protests and unrest across the country.
In addition, a father-to-son transfer of power is viewed with suspicion within Iran’s Shia clerical establishment. The Islamic Republic of Iran was founded after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which overthrew the country’s monarchy led by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts is tasked with selecting the supreme leader and supervising the position. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had held the role for 37 years before his death.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has warned that it would continue to target any individual chosen to replace Khamenei. In a message written in the Persian language and posted on the social media platform X, the Israeli military said it would pursue both the successor and anyone involved in appointing the next supreme leader.
The leadership decision is unfolding while hostilities between Iran and Israel continue to escalate across the region.
Iranian missile and drone strikes have reportedly targeted energy facilities and infrastructure across several countries in the Persian Gulf region, while Israeli air attacks have struck oil storage depots and fuel infrastructure inside Iran.
The announcement of a new supreme leader, once officially confirmed, will likely shape Iran’s political direction and its response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
