By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has quietly named three senior clerics as potential successors to ensure a swift and stable leadership transition after his death.
The move comes as Iran faces heightened tensions with Israel following a series of surprise Israeli attacks, and amid fears of broader regional escalation. According to sources, Khamenei is determined to avoid a leadership vacuum that could jeopardize the Islamic Republic’s stability during a time of war and internal uncertainty.
Under the Iranian constitution, the Supreme Leader’s successor is selected by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body. This mechanism has only been invoked once since the 1979 Islamic Revolution—when Khamenei himself was appointed in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Although speculation has long surrounded Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei—who is closely aligned with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—he is reportedly not among the three names under consideration. Another previously presumed frontrunner, former President Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash in 2024, removing a key contender from the succession equation.
It is reported that Khamenei’s latest actions reflect his desire to maintain the continuity of the Islamic Republic even in the event of his sudden demise. Since last Friday’s surprise Israeli offensive, the Supreme Leader has taken extraordinary security precautions. He is reported to be operating from his fortified residence in central Tehran—the beit rahbari, or “leader’s house”—and has only issued two pre-recorded messages to the public. In them, he condemned what he called a “forced war” and pledged that Iran would not surrender.
The conflict has already caused significant casualties. Human rights organizations report hundreds killed and thousands wounded across Iran, with Israeli strikes targeting nuclear facilities, senior military commanders, and strategic infrastructure. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks, activating its air defenses in multiple regions around the capital.
Adding to the geopolitical stakes, U.S. stealth B-2 bombers were tracked flying across the Pacific on Saturday, escorted by refueling jets. The aircraft departed a central U.S. base and were later seen off the coast of California. This development has fueled speculation that President Donald Trump may be preparing for direct U.S. involvement in the escalating conflict.
Trump has said he will decide “within two weeks” whether to join Israel’s campaign against Iran’s nuclear facilities. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that U.S. intervention would be “very, very dangerous for everyone.”
As war clouds gather, Iran’s leadership is attempting to project resilience on the battlefield while quietly engineering a succession plan that could shape the future of the Islamic Republic for decades to come.
