Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has identified three senior clerics as potential successors in the event of his death, according to The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials.

Under Iran’s constitution, the death of a supreme leader triggers a selection process led by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this process has been used only once, when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was chosen as successor in 1989.

Khamenei aims to ensure a swift and orderly transition upon his death, The New York Times reported, citing sources.

Khamenei has taken an extraordinary series of steps to preserve the Islamic Republic ever since Israel launched a series of surprise attacks last Friday, the report said.

According to the NYT report, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, a cleric closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and long rumored to be a front-runner, is not among the chosen candidates. Iran’s former President Ebrahim Raisi, who had also been widely seen as a top contender, died in a helicopter crash in 2024, eliminating another key figure from succession considerations.

Iran’s constitution places the responsibility for selecting a new Supreme Leader on the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical council. This mechanism has only been used once since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Khamenei himself was appointed in 1989.

But with the country now embroiled in conflict, Khamenei is reportedly intent on avoiding a prolonged power vacuum, pushing for a swift appointment to preserve the Islamic Republic’s continuity.

The NYT report also noted that since Israel launched a surprise wave of attacks last Friday, Khamenei has taken unprecedented security precautions. He has remained largely secluded in his fortified compound in central Tehran, the “beit rahbari” or leader’s house, and has issued only two pre-recorded public messages, denouncing what he called a “forced war” and vowing Iran would not surrender.

Meanwhile, the conflict has taken a severe toll. Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured in Iran, with human rights organizations documenting widespread civilian casualties. Israeli strikes have targeted nuclear facilities, military commanders, and critical infrastructure, prompting Iran to retaliate with barrages of missiles and drones. Tehran’s air defenses were activated Saturday in multiple locations around the capital as fresh Israeli attacks loomed.

In another development, US stealth B-2 bombers were tracked flying across the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, according to aircraft tracking data and media reports. The long-range bombers, escorted by aerial refueling jets, departed a central US base and were later seen near the California coast.

The flights have fueled speculation that US President Donald Trump may be preparing for direct military involvement in Israel’s campaign against Iranian nuclear targets.

Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join the conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that US entry into the war would be “very, very dangerous for everyone.”

As the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates, Iran’s leadership appears determined to project strength while quietly preparing for an eventual leadership transition, one that could reshape the country’s future.

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