Iran Seeks Swift Appointment of New Supreme Leader as Israel Issues Assassination Warning

Iran announced Wednesday that efforts are underway to promptly select a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes over the weekend.

Speaking to state television, Ahmad Khatami of the Assembly of Experts said, “We are all trying.”

“God willing, the leader will be appointed at the earliest opportunity. We are close, but the situation is a war situation,” he added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that any successor to Khamenei “will be a certain target for assassination”.

Khatami emphasised that “discretion is necessary” due to the threat, and described the appointment process as “imminent”.

The 88-member Assembly of Experts, elected every eight years, is constitutionally responsible for choosing Iran’s supreme leader.

Iranian media said US and Israeli forces struck a building linked to the Assembly in Qom on Tuesday. Its main headquarters in Tehran was targeted the previous day, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Iran formally initiated the transition of leadership on Sunday, a day after Khamenei — who had ruled since 1989 — was killed.

Currently overseeing the country on an interim basis are President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and Assembly member Alireza Arafi.

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