Irans Assembly of Experts Reaches Consensus on Supreme Leader Succession

Iran’s Assembly of Experts Reaches Consensus on Successor to Late Supreme Leader

The 88-member Assembly of Experts in Iran has reached a majority consensus on the selection of its next supreme leader, according to Ayatollah Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri. The assembly member stated that “some obstacles” still need to be resolved regarding the process.

Under the Iranian constitution, the Assembly of Experts is authorized to choose the country’s supreme leader. The late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 37 years, was killed in a strike on Tehran on February 28. The Israeli military has warned that it will target individuals involved in the selection process.

Mirbagheri stated that “great efforts” have been made to determine the leadership and that a “decisive and unanimous opinion” has been agreed upon. Another member of the assembly, Hojjatoleslam Jafari, expressed hope that all Iranian people would be satisfied with the chosen leader as soon as possible.

A minor disagreement occurred among the scholars regarding whether the final decision should follow an in-person meeting or be issued without adhering to this formality. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir stated that a candidate has been selected based on Khamenei’s advice, which advised that the next leader should “be hated by the enemy” instead of being praised by it.

Heidari Alekasir also mentioned that the chosen successor was mentioned by US President Donald Trump as an “unacceptable” choice. The assembly will now proceed with the selection process, following the Israeli military’s warning to those involved in the process.

Source: Al Jazeera