Iran’s Supreme Leader, 85 year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is said to be suffering from serious illness and reports have indicated that he might step down from the position and nominate his 55-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor. Iran has been at loggerheads with Israel and the conflict in the Middle East has worsened the situation. A leadership crisis at the apex institution in Iran at this juncture could send shockwaves across the country. But it is being reported that in a secret meeting held in September, Ali Khamenei instructed members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts to make a decision regarding his succession. A New York Times report in October claimed that Khamenei is “seriously ill”. However, his account on X had a picture posted of him meeting Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani in his office. ظهر امروز یکشنبه ۲۷ آبان ۱۴۰۳؛ دیدار و گفتوگو با آقای مجتبی امانی، سفیر جانباز جمهوری اسلامی ایران در لبنان pic.twitter.com/ctIRbi9bVA — KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی 🇮🇷 (@Khamenei_fa) November 17, 2024 “Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, met and talked with Mr Mojtaba Amani, the veteran ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon, at noon today, on the sidelines of his daily meetings,” the caption along with the photo read. What are the powers of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei? In Iran, Ali Khamenei is the most powerful figure who has been at the helm as supreme leader since 1989. He is the head of state and the commander-in-chief. The national police and morality police of Iran also have their authority enshrined with the supreme leader. Ali Khamenei also heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is the authority responsible for the internal security of Iran. IRGC’s volunteer wing Basij Resistance Force, which is used to silence dissent in Iran, also reports to Khamenei. Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? The 55 year-old son of Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba, was born in 1969 in Mashhad in northeast Iran. He is the second son of the supreme leader. Mojtaba studied theology and his teachers included his father Ali Khamenei and other influential scholars. He became a cleric and continues teaching theology. Mojtaba has three children with his spouse Zahra Haddad-Adel. But lack of experience and absence of any position in Iran’s government raised doubts over his secret selection as the heir of Ali Khamenei. With Israel’s threat looming and its allies like Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups at backfoot amid the Middle East hostilities, it would become significant to oversee the leadership transition in Iran if it happens.
