Iran’s Assembly of Experts has made significant progress toward selecting a successor to the country’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to member Ayatollah Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri. He told Mehr News Agency that a broad consensus has been reached among members, though some obstacles remain before a final decision can be announced. A senior cleric earlier said the assembly may meet within a day to finalize the choice.
Iranian media reported minor disagreements among members over whether the decision must be made in person or could be declared without a formal session. Another member, Ayatollah Mohsen Heydari Alekasir, said in a video published by Noor News that in-person voting has become difficult under current conditions. He added that one candidate has already been selected following advice from the late leader, who said the next Supreme Leader should be someone “hated by enemies.”
Alekasir hinted that the chosen candidate has been mentioned by the “Great Satan,” a term used for the United States. Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump described Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as an “unacceptable” option.