Next Supreme Leader of Iran election

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Next Iranian Supreme Leader election
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88 Members in the Assembly of Experts
59 votes needed to win

An election for the third Supreme Leader of Iran is scheduled to be held following the end of the current tenure of Ali Khamenei. As of January 2025, no person has been officially declared as the heir to the current leader nor as a nominee, though various sources such as Reuters and the BBC have written on potential candidates. [1] [2]

Contents

The succession of Khamenei is deemed to have been decided but not disclosed publicly. [1] [3] Constitutionally, the Assembly of Experts is tasked to select the next leader. Its sixth and current term was elected in 2024 and is scheduled to sit until 2032.

Khamenei has not discussed his replacement. He has said the selection must be made without shame or regard for expediency, rather based on the three principles of "truth, the need of the country and God". [4] [5] A four man council of Assembly of Experts is examining possible candidates while keeping it fully secret and advising the current supreme leader as of 2024. [6] [7] A member of the experts assembly in 2024 claimed that his successor has been chosen but the identity of this individual is hidden for his safety. [8]

As of 2024, then-President Ebrahim Raisi and Khamenei's son Mojtaba had been considered frontrunners for the position. Raisi's death in a helicopter crash in May 2024 cut short his potential candidacy. [9] [10] In November 2024 government leaker Abbas Palizdar said Khamenei's son has quit seminary to succeed his father. [11]

In November 2024 it was revealed that 3 people have been nominated to replace Khamenei. [12] On 16 November it was reported that Khamenei picked his son Mojtaba. [13] In January 2025 State Islamic Development organization owned newspaper Tehran Times denied a Washington Post report that Khamenei had picked his son. [14]

Constitutional eligibility

The Supreme Leader of Iran is selected by members of the Assembly of Experts to serve a life tenure. According to Article 111 of Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, if the incumbent Supreme Leader dies in office or is dismissed, the Assembly of Experts should immediately hold a session and appoint a successor. [15] A 'Provisional Leadership Council' is mandated to carry out the responsibilities of the supreme leader until a permanent successor is selected, which is made up of the incumbent President, the incumbent Chief Justice and one of clerics of the Guardian Council who is selected by the Expediency Discernment Council. [15]

Alleged plans

In December 2015, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said a committee in the Assembly of Experts "is examining potential candidates to be the next Supreme Leader". He also said the Assembly would be open to choosing "a council of leaders if needed" instead of a single leader. [1]

Ahmad Khatami told press in 2016 that a committee made up of three Assembly members had given three names to the supreme leader "to seek his verdict", but later remarked what he said was "hypothetical" and blamed media for misreporting his words. [16] Mohsen Araki, commented in June 2019 that the committee has drafted a "top secret list of prospective supreme leaders" and will present three names to the Assembly "when it is necessary." [16] Hashem Hashemzadeh Herisi confirmed that such a committee exists, adding that the names on the list will not be disclosed. He also stated that the decisions made by the committee will not be fateful because the next leader must be voted by a majority of all members in the assembly. [16] Prior to that, in February 2019 Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari had categorically dismissed allegations that Ebrahim Raisi and Ahmad Khatami were considered as candidates for the next leader by the assembly, stating that the question "has never been debated at the assembly". [17]

As of 2023, the Assembly of Experts is discussing a potential program to reestablish the post of Vice Supreme Leader, which was last held by Hussein-Ali Montazeri from 1985 to 1989. [18]

Analysis

In 2023, Israeli military intelligence had assessed President Ebrahim Raisi would succeed Khamenei. [19] John Bolton argued the regime would be vulnerable in the event of Khamenei's death. [20] In the aftermath of Raisi's death, Mojtaba Khamenei has become a more plausible candidate to replace his father, although Ali Khamenei had reportedly opposed this. [21] [22] [23] [24] In the 6th mandate of Assembly of Experts, 92 year old Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani became the new chief of Assembly of Experts. [25] [26]

Speculations about potential successors by commentators

The persons listed in this section are, according to analyses and comments made by various sources, potential candidates (the names are sorted by age):

Name Hassan Rouhani Mohsen Araki Alireza Arafi Sadeq Larijani Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri Mojtaba Khamenei Hassan Khomeini
Picture
Hassan Rouhani 2020.jpg
Mohsen Araki (cropped).jpg
Alireza Arafi 13990824 0146818.jpg
Sixth International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada, Tehran (15) (crop of Sadeq Larijani).jpg
Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri 13990521 0146241 (cropped).jpg
Mojtaba Khamenei 2019.jpg
Hassan Khomeini - 27 May 2018.jpg
Age76 years, 75 daysc.68–69 yearsc.65–66 years63 years, 320 daysc.63–64 years55 years, 140 days52 years, 54 days
Sources [3] [15] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [15] [15] [2] [35] [28] [29] [31] [36] [37] [15] [2] [27] [29] [31] [34] [38] [36] [37] [3] [15] [2] [39] [35]

Deceased candidates

People mentioned below had been regarded as potential candidates during their lifetime.

Name Abbas Vaez-Tabasi Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi Ebrahim Amini Mohammad Yazdi Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi Ebrahim Raisi
Picture
Abbas Vaez-Tabasi.jpg
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani by Fars 02.jpg
Hashemi Shahroudi portrait 02.jpg
Ebrahim Amini brhym myny 11.jpg
Mohammad Yazdi 1399091913465979321782964.jpg
Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi 13980909 1144279.jpg
2022 Ebrahim Raisi.jpg
Year of death2016201720182020202020212024
Sources [2] [3] [2] [39] [40] [3] [2] [39] [27] [35] [31] [32] [34] [38] [40] [41] [3] [2] [2] [39] [31] [37] [15] [35] [27] [28] [30] [31] [32] [34] [38] [36] [37] [42]

Further reading

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References

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