Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei received serious injuries in the February 28, 2026 joint US-Israeli airstrike in Tehran that eliminated his father and former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. Despite suffering severe leg and facial injuries, Mojtaba was subsequently named the new Supreme Leader of Iran on March 8, 2026. Since then, there has been speculation that he was no longer alive. Mojtaba has not been seen in public even after being named Ali Khamenei’s successor. He did not even attend the funeral rites of his father and other family members.

Israeli media outlet Channel 14 recently reported that Mojtaba’s condition was “extremely critical” and he “could die at any moment“. Although no one from the Iranian side has made any comments on this issue, sources close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration have made similar claims. “We would not be surprised if we heard news of his martyrdom soon,” said a source.

Interestingly, Mehr News agency of the Islamic Republic has released an undated video showing Mojtaba appearing to be in good health. The video was published for the first time by the semi-official news agency as an effort to negate mounting speculation over the Supreme Leader’s health and whereabouts.

The question arises here: Who will be Mojtaba’s successor upon his demise? Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution stipulates that if the Supreme Leader dies, resigns, is removed from office or is temporarily unable to perform his duties, a three-member Assembly of Experts – an elected body of Islamic scholars – must officially convene and vote to select the next Supreme Leader. In other words, a successor cannot be chosen ahead of time. Under Article 111, if the Office of the Supreme Leader becomes vacant, the Assembly, formed by the President, the Head of Judiciary and a Religious Jurist of the Guardian Council, temporarily assumes the duties and powers of the leader.

As per the Constitution, an 88-member Assembly of Experts selects the new Supreme Leader. Meanwhile, the names of several senior religious leaders have surfaced. The list includes senior Guardian Council members Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and Ayatollah Seyyed Hashem Hosseini Bushehri. Bushehri is a veteran Iranian Twelver Shia cleric and politician who serves as the First Deputy Chairperson of the Assembly of Experts, representative of Bushehr Province, Head of the Qom Seminary Teachers’ Association and temporary Friday Prayer Leader in Qom. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the Head of the Judiciary, is another prominent candidate. According to sources, Hassan Mostafavi Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Mostafavi Khomeini, could also become the next Supreme Leader of Iran.

In case, the Assembly of Experts fails to select anyone, the Interim Council will discharge the responsibility. However, the Council does not permanently discharge the responsibility of selecting or becoming the Supreme Leader; as its sole role is to manage affairs temporarily until the Assembly formally elects a permanent successor.

Meanwhile,

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das