Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly taken the extraordinary step of naming three clerics as potential successors, while seeking protection in a secure bunker due to assassination threats from Israel, according to a report by The New York Times citing Iranian officials.
The move marks an unusually transparent shift in succession planning for Iran’s top leadership and comes amid heightened conflict between Iran and Israel, which has entered its second week.
According to the report, Khamenei—who is 86 years old—has expressed concern that either Israel or the United States may attempt to assassinate him, which he reportedly views as martyrdom. In response, he has directed the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for choosing the next Supreme Leader, to act swiftly and select his replacement from among the three candidates he has proposed.
Mojtaba Khamenei Not Among Shortlisted Successors
Contrary to long-standing speculation, officials cited in the report said Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, who was widely believed to be groomed for leadership, is not among the shortlisted candidates. The decision signals a possible departure from dynastic ambitions and a focus on institutional continuity.
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“This is all calculative and pragmatic. The top priority is the preservation of the state,” said Vali Nasr, a noted Iran expert and professor at Johns Hopkins University, in the report.
The urgency comes after Israel’s airstrikes reportedly killed key Iranian military commanders, forcing Tehran’s leadership into damage-control mode. The ongoing war has also prompted fast-paced internal changes in Iran’s military command, as Khamenei begins replacing those lost in the strikes.
Israel Threatens Top Iranian Leadership
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday reaffirmed that Israel’s military objective remains the elimination of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities, but hinted at broader ambitions.
Asked whether this included targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader directly, Netanyahu responded, “No one is immune.”
In parallel, European-led talks in Geneva with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ended without a breakthrough. Araghchi said Iran remained open to dialogue but insisted Tehran would not negotiate under fire.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump continued to evaluate potential American involvement in the escalating conflict, even as the war zone extended to Iranian nuclear research facilities near Isfahan.
