Micah Jonah
March 8, 2026
The Assembly of Experts has reached a majority consensus on a successor to the late Ali Khamenei, according to officials involved in the selection process.
Member of the assembly – Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri said the clerical body had agreed on a candidate but still needed to resolve several procedural issues before the final announcement.
Under Iran’s constitution, the 88-member Assembly of Experts is responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader.
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, was killed during a strike by the United States and Israel on Tehran at the start of the ongoing war involving Iran.
Another member of the body, Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, said the chosen candidate was selected based on advice previously given by Khamenei that Iran’s leader should be someone “hated by the enemy” rather than praised by it.
The assembly is currently facing challenges in organizing a formal in-person meeting to finalize the decision because of the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces issued a warning that it could target members of the Assembly of Experts involved in selecting a new leader, escalating tensions surrounding the process.
The issue of Iran’s next supreme leader has drawn international attention, particularly after Donald Trump said Washington should have a say in the leadership transition.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations rejected the suggestion, insisting the selection of the country’s leader is strictly an internal matter.
Officials say the identity of the chosen candidate will likely be announced once the assembly completes its final procedures.
