Ayatollah Khamenei’s Son Is Frontrunner to Succeed Dad as Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Report

The son of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the frontrunner to replace him as supreme leader, according to reports.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is currently favored to take control of Iran by the country’s Assembly of Experts, a powerful body of clerics that makes the decision, the New York Times reported while citing sources close to the deliberations.

Other outlets – including Israeli media and Iranian opposition channels – were reporting early Tuesday that Mojtaba had already been selected, though Iranian state media has not confirmed anything.

The report was widely being picked up by Israeli media but had not been confirmed by Iranian state mouthpieces.

Mojtaba was at first believed to have been among the 40 top Iranian aides killed during the Saturday strike that took out Iran’s highest-ranking cleric. (Read more from “Ayatollah Khamenei’s Son Is Frontrunner to Succeed Dad as Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Report” HERE)