Iran's Assembly of Experts has completed the vote to select a new supreme leader, following the death of Ali Khamenei on 28/2. Ahmad Alamolhoda, a member of the Assembly of Experts, the body authorized to choose Iran's highest political and religious authority, announced today that the selection process has concluded. The council's secretariat will announce the leader's identity soon, Mehr news agency stated.

Mohsen Heydari, Khuzestan province's representative in the Assembly of Experts, confirmed that "the most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of council members, has been identified". According to ISNA news agency, Heydari mentioned that the individual had been named by the US, but he did not disclose their specific identity. Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, also a member of the Assembly of Experts, affirmed that the body had reached "an opinion reflecting the majority's view".

Iran's Assembly of Experts meeting in Tehran on 14/9/2010. *Photo: Reuters*

The supreme leader holds final decision-making power on national issues. Ali Khamenei occupied this position from 1989 until his death in a strike that initiated a US-Israel operation on 28/2. The swift election follows Iranian law, which mandates that the process to elect a new supreme leader must occur "as soon as possible".

Speculation surrounds Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, son of the late Ali Khamenei, as a potential successor. Mojtaba Khamenei commands extensive influence in Iran and maintains close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij volunteer militia. However, a hereditary transfer of power is generally not supported by Shiite Muslim clerics in Iran. Another obstacle is that Mojtaba Khamenei is not a senior cleric and has never held a government role.

The selection process has drawn international attention and warnings. The Persian-language account of the Israeli military on social media platform X warned today that it would "target" members involved in the selection process for Iran's supreme leader. It added that it would continue to closely monitor "the successor and anyone seeking to appoint that person".

The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member committee, is responsible for this critical decision. These members are Shiite Muslim clerics, elected by the Iranian people every 8 years. Their candidacies must be approved by the Guardian Council. The Assembly of Experts also holds the power to depose Iran's supreme leader, though this has never occurred.