Overview
- Three Iranian officials cited by The New York Times say clerics held two virtual sessions Tuesday and identified the 56-year-old son of Ali Khamenei as the clear front-runner.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pushed strongly for his elevation, according to officials and Iran International, reflecting security hard-liners’ sway in the process.
- Israel struck a building in Qom where the assembly was due to meet in person, which Fars said was empty, prompting remote deliberations.
- Some members weighed delaying a public announcement over fears he could be targeted, with IRGC-linked reports suggesting the process could take about a week and state media signaling an announcement after the funeral.
- Mojtaba Khamenei is a reclusive, mid-ranking cleric long tied to the IRGC and was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2019, and his reported selection follows U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father.