Who Will Succeed Khamenei?

Officials said last year that Khamenei had selected three senior clerics as potential successors in case of his death.

According to a report by The New York Times, Khamenei instructed the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for choosing the Supreme Leader, to quickly appoint one of the three names he had identified if he were killed.

Under normal circumstances, the selection process can take months, but Khamenei aimed to shorten the transition period in order to avoid instability during wartime conditions and to ensure continuity of the system.

International relations expert Vali Nasr said:

The highest priority is the preservation of the state. These are calculated and pragmatic decisions.

Officials stated that rumors had long suggested Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei could succeed him, due to his close ties with the Revolutionary Guards, but he was not among the previously confirmed candidates.

Former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2024, had also been considered one of the strongest potential successors.

Names circulating in political circles also include Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and senior official Ali Asghar Hejazi, who plays a key role in the Supreme Leader’s office.

Exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi has recently said he is ready to lead a democratic transition, although his actual level of support inside Iran remains unclear.

U.S. President Donald Trump said,

We have a very good idea who Iran’s next leader will be.

8 names mentioned as possible successors

But on the other hand according to sources, the following figures are being discussed as possible replacements for Khamenei:

1- Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei

Head of Iran’s Judiciary. Known for his close ties to the conservative clerical establishment and hardline policies.

2- Alireza Arafi

Senior cleric and member of the Guardian Council. Influential in religious education and policymaking within Iran’s clerical institutions.

3- Sadeq Larijani

Former Head of the Judiciary and former Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council. A prominent conservative figure with experience in state administration.

4- Hassan Khomeini

Former President of Iran (2013–2021). Known for a more moderate approach in domestic and international policy compared to hardline clerics.

5- Mojtaba Khamenei

Mojtaba Khamenei is son of Ali Khamenei. Cleric with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and politically influential behind the scenes.

6- Hossein Bushehri

Ayatollah and senior religious leader. Plays a significant role in Iran’s clerical hierarchy, though less publicly known.

7- Mohsen Araki

Son of Ali Khamenei. Cleric with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and politically influential behind the scenes.

8- Hassan Rouhani

Former President of Iran (2013–2021). Known for a more moderate approach in domestic and international policy compared to hardline clerics.

How the process will work?

Under Iranian law, the Assembly of Experts will meet in Tehran to select the new Supreme Leader.

The decision can be made in a single session or after several meetings, and the process may take one or several days.

Until a new Supreme Leader is officially chosen, constitutional authority will be exercised by a temporary council composed of:

• The President
• The Speaker of Parliament
• The Head of the Judiciary.