Calls grow in Iran for swift appointment of new supreme leader after Khamenei assassination

DUBAI: Calls are growing in Iran for the swift appointment of a new supreme leader following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli strike on February 28, with senior clerics urging authorities to speed up the succession process amid ongoing regional tensions.

Prominent Shia cleric Naser Makarem Shirazi said that the country needed a new leader soon to ensure stability in governance and decision-making.

“A prolonged leadership vacuum is not appropriate for the country’s administration, especially given the current circumstances,” Iranian media quoted him as saying, calling for the early appointment of a successor.

Another influential cleric, Hossein Nouri Hamedani, also urged the Assembly of Experts to accelerate the process of selecting Khamenei’s successor in order to end uncertainty in the country.

Both clerics had earlier issued religious decrees calling on Muslims worldwide to avenge Khamenei’s killing and to continue pursuing those responsible.

Under Iran’s constitution, a temporary three-member council assumes the duties of the supreme leader if the position becomes vacant.

The council includes the president, a senior cleric and the head of the judiciary, and governs until the Assembly of Experts elects a new leader.

The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body empowered to appoint the supreme leader, is constitutionally required to choose a successor within three months.

However, it remains unclear when the body will formally convene because of the ongoing conflict in the region. Sources say some clerics have begun consultations online, though the Iranian government has not issued an official statement on the succession process.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington should have a role in the selection of Iran’s next supreme leader, a suggestion that Tehran has strongly rejected.