IRAN’S powerful clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s supreme leader is close to agreeing on a successor to the late Ali Khamenei, according to members of the Assembly of Experts, even as procedural hurdles remain over how the final decision will be confirmed.
AFP cited on Sunday that Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri, a member of the Assembly of Experts, said the clerical body had largely reached a majority consensus on the next leader but that several issues still needed to be resolved before the announcement could be made.
“Some obstacles still need to be resolved,” he said, as quoted by the Mehr News Agency on Sunday.
The comments come after another senior cleric within the assembly indicated that members were preparing to convene urgently to make the final decision.
Iranian media reported on Saturday that the council could meet “within one day” to select the new supreme leader.
However, uncertainty remains over whether the decision must be ratified during a formal in-person meeting or whether it can be issued without adhering to that traditional procedure.
The debate reflects the extraordinary circumstances facing the country following Khamenei’s death and ongoing regional tensions.
Another member of the assembly, Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, suggested that convening all members physically may not be feasible at present.
In a video released by Nournews on Sunday, he said holding an in-person session for a final vote was not possible under current conditions.
He also indicated that a potential successor had already been identified, adding that the choice reflected guidance previously given by the late leader.
According to Heidari Alekasir, Khamenei had advised that Iran’s top leader should be a figure viewed unfavourably by the country’s adversaries rather than praised by them.
“Even the Great Satan (US) has mentioned his name,” he said of the chosen successor.
His remarks came days after Donald Trump publicly dismissed the prospect of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding his father, calling such a choice “unacceptable.”
The selection of Iran’s next supreme leader is one of the most consequential political decisions in the Islamic Republic, as the position holds ultimate authority over the country’s political, military and religious institutions. - March 8, 2026
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