Mojtaba Khamenei : Iran representative says new supreme leader not selected; Mojtaba among possible choices

Mojtaba Khamenei : A top Iranian source stated Thursday that Iran has yet to elect the successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, who was slain in a joint US-Israeli bombing last week.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not yet been chosen as his successor.

The envoy of Iran’s supreme leader in India, Ayatollah Dr Abdul Majeed Hakeemelahi, said that the process of electing a new leader is still ongoing.When asked about various media reports indicating that Ayatollah Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, had been elected as his successor, Hakeemelahi said, “This news is not true because they (the council) have not chosen or nominated anyone yet, and the process is still underway.”

“Several individuals are vying for this position because including Ayatollah Mojtaba. It isn’t because he is Ayatollah Khamenei’s son. Instead, they may consider hiring him according to his qualifications. However, it has not been confirmed, and they are still looking for the best candidate for this role,” he stated.

Hakeemelahi explained

Hakeemelahi explained that during Iran’s elections, an 88-member Assembly of Experts council is elected through a vote.This council’s tasks include electing the supreme leader. “They have now begun negotiating to find a qualified candidate for this position,” he said.

“They (council members) had a lot of discussions, but the situation is not good since we are being attacked by the US and Israel. So, when they find a favourable circumstance and convene, they will choose the best candidate for this post,” he continued.

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The supreme leader of Iran is the country’s top political and religious authority. He gets the last say on policy matters. He also serves as the military’s commander-in-chief.

When questioned if Iran is willing to face the risk of officially naming the next supreme leader in light of Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz’s warning to assassinate him, Hakeemelahi responded, “Iran is ready to defend itself.”. Israeli and US strikes recently struck a building housing the Assembly of Experts in Qom city. Local media television video showed the building being extensively damaged during the strikes. Iran’s state media later announced that the building was no longer in use for meetings.

Hakeemelahi remembered Khamenei, saying, “He used to tell people to study about India.””If you want to understand Iran’s history, you must first understand and study India’s history.” Khamenei, 86, was the Supreme Leader since 1989 and was assassinated on February 28 in a joint US-Israeli strike. His wife died from injuries few days later. His daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter were also murdered by the airstrike.