Khamenei killed in US strike: Who are his potential successors?

US President Donald Trump announced on social media that Iran’s supreme leader was dead following joint American and Israeli air strikes, calling his death “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country”.

He described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and said the cleric “was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems”. Trump added that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue “uninterrupted”.Two Israeli officials, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Israel had confirmed Khamenei’s death after strikes hit near his compound in Tehran.

Iranian state media reported explosions across the capital, with smoke rising from downtown districts and roads leading to the supreme leader’s offices sealed off. Iran’s airspace was closed and mobile networks disrupted. There was no immediate confirmation from Tehran.Khamenei, 86, had ruled since 1989, making him the Middle East’s longest-serving head of state. His death would mark only the second leadership transition since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Ruhollah Khomeini established the Islamic Republic.

In 1989, Khamenei himself was elevated from the presidency to the supreme leadership after Khomeini’s death.Under Iran’s constitution, the 88-member Assembly of Experts selects and oversees the supreme leader. Candidates for the body are vetted by the Guardian Council, whose members are appointed directly or indirectly by the supreme leader. The process is tightly controlled, and succession planning has long been confined to the regime’s inner circle.The US-based Council on Foreign Relations has identified several clerics as possible successors.Among them is Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, a senior religious figure who leads Iran’s nationwide seminary system and sits on both the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts. His promotion would signal continuity within the existing clerical order.Hojjat-ol-Eslam Mohsen Qomi, a key adviser within Khamenei’s office, is viewed as a trusted insider with close proximity to the late leader.

Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, a longstanding member of the Assembly of Experts, also possesses the religious credentials and institutional experience often seen as prerequisites for the role.Ayatollah Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s judiciary chief, stands out for his national security background and senior state positions. His administrative experience could appeal to those seeking stability during a volatile transition.

Ayatollah Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, Friday prayer leader in Qom and Assembly member, is another senior cleric frequently mentioned.Yet most of the potential contenders are in their mid-to-late sixties and lack Khamenei’s decades-long consolidation of authority. Analysts warn that elevating a favoured insider may preserve the current balance of power but could expose underlying rivalries within Iran’s political and security establishment.With Iran already exchanging missile and drone fire with Israel and targeting US bases in the Gulf, any leadership change would carry far-reaching consequences. The succession battle now unfolding behind closed doors could determine not only Iran’s internal stability but also the future direction of its regional posture and nuclear policy.