Iran Claims To Appoint New Leader

Iran’s ruling clerical body claims to have chosen a new supreme leader, though it has yet to reveal a name, and the regime itself has issued conflicting signals about whether the process is complete.

Multiple members of the Assembly of Experts said Sunday that a majority decision on a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been reached. Assembly member Mohsen Heydari said “the most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Assembly of Experts, has been determined,” the Times of Israel reported, citing the outlet Iranian Students’ News Agency. Fellow member Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri separately told Fars news agency that “a firm opinion reflecting the majority view has been reached.” (RELATED: Trump Says He’s Not Necessarily Looking For Democracy In Iran)

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Alam al-Huda offered the bluntest assessment. He told Iran’s Mehr news agency that elections had already occurred and a successor was installed, according to CNBC. “All the rumors and news that tried to pretend that the Assembly of Experts has not yet made a decision are pure lies,” al-Huda said. Two senior clerics had publicly pushed for a rapid appointment days earlier, concerned that leaving a temporary three-man governing council in place could weaken the regime.

پس از خنثی‌سازی خامنه‌ای ستمگر، رژیم تروریستی ایران تلاش می‌کند خود را بازسازی کرده و رهبر جدیدی انتخاب کند.

مجلس خبرگان ایران که دهها سال است تشکیل جلسه نداده، به‌زودی در شهر قم گرد هم خواهد آمد. می‌خواهیم به شما بگوئیم که دست کشور اسرائیل همچنان هر جانشین و هر کسی را که در پی…

— ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) March 8, 2026

The frontrunner, by most accounts, is Mojtaba Khamenei, the late supreme leader’s 56-year-old son. Iran International reported that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders ran a pressure campaign on Assembly members to vote for Mojtaba, holding the first session online. Members described the virtual proceedings as “unnatural,” and eight vowed to boycott a second round. Tehran has officially denied those reports.

President Donald Trump rejected the expected outcome outright. “Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela,” Trump told Axios. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

Israel delivered its own warning Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces posted a Farsi-language message on X vowing to “pursue every successor and every person who seeks to appoint a successor,” the Times of Israel reported.