Is Iran Purposely Delaying Naming Khamenei's Successor? Here's What Officials Are Saying

Last Updated:March 07, 2026, 09:25 IST

Israel Katz, Israel’s defence minister, said on Wednesday that any individual chosen by Iran to replace Ali Khamenei would be “an unequivocal target for elimination.”

Iran has postponed announcing a successor to its slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, due to security concerns after comments from the United States and Israel suggested that any new leader could also become a target, two Iranian officials said.

According to the officials, Ayatollah Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as a leading contender for the position. However, worries about his safety increased after media reports indicated that he could become the next face of Iran’s leadership.

The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said concerns grew once Mojtaba Khamenei’s name began circulating as the preferred candidate to succeed his father. Following those reports, the US signalled that he would not be acceptable and could be eliminated.

“They are wasting their time," President Trump told Axios on Thursday, adding that the former supreme leader’s son is “a lightweight" and an “unacceptable" choice.

Israel Katz, Israel’s defence minister, said in a social media post on Wednesday that any individual chosen by Iran to replace Ali Khamenei would be “an unequivocal target for elimination."

American and Israeli strikes have so far killed Khamenei along with several senior military commanders and figures linked to the country’s defence establishment, though clerics have not been among those targeted.

Meanwhile, the heads of Iran’s three branches of government, the presidency, judiciary and parliament, remain alive.

If Mojtaba Khamenei is elevated to become Iran’s top religious, political and military authority, it would indicate the continuation of hard-line conservative leadership.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a largely secretive yet influential figure who has long operated behind the scenes, is known to maintain close connections with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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