Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly compiled a secret shortlist of three successors in case he is assassinated, following a series of Israeli strikes that killed multiple high-ranking Iranian commanders over the weekend. According to officials who spoke to The New York Times, Khamenei, 86, created the list while taking shelter in a bunker, bypassing Iran’s traditional clerical selection process through the Assembly of Experts. The decision marks a rare move to directly influence succession, driven by heightened fears that the U.S. or Israel may attempt to eliminate him.
The Islamic Republic’s leadership has been hit hard in recent days. Among those killed were Saeed Izadi, a senior Quds Force commander linked to Hamas; Benham Shahriyari, head of missile transfers to Hezbollah and other groups; and Amin Pour Joudaki, a drone warfare commander. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence has ordered all senior officials underground and banned electronic communications amid what appears to be an emergency state of readiness. Khamenei has continued to release pre-recorded messages promising defiance, while reportedly coordinating replacements for key military positions through a single trusted aide.
