Assassination fear looming, Iran’s Supreme Leader names likely successors
“The top priority is the preservation of the state,” Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, told The New York Times. “It is all calculative and pragmatic.”
The supreme leader holds wide powers in Iran, leading the military, judiciary, legislature and executive. The officials said that his son, Mojtaba, is not among the candidates, nor is former president Ibrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2024.
Since the war began, Khamenei has appeared in two recorded video messages. In one, he said, “The people of Iran will stand against a forced war.”
The attacks on Iran have hit military bases, nuclear sites and energy infrastructure. Hundreds of people have been killed, including top commanders, and many civilians have died.Story continues below this ad
Iran’s leadership also fears infiltration Israeli agents. Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to the parliament speaker, said in an audio recording shared with The New York Times, “It is clear that we had a massive security and intelligence breach; there is no denying this.”
The Minry of Intelligence has ordered officials to stop using phones or other electronic devices. Senior leaders have been told to stay underground. Iran has also restricted the internet and blocked international calls.
Ali Ahmadinia, a spokesman for President Masoud Pezeshkian, said, “We are safeguarding the security of our country shutting down the internet.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has warned that anyone working with the enemy must surrender Sunday or face execution.Story continues below this ad
Tehran is largely empty, with checkpoints set up across the city. Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a reform politician, said, “The war has softened the divisions we had, both among each other and with the general public.”
Many Iranians, including government critics, have expressed support for the country in the face of the attacks. Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, told the BBC, “Democracy cannot come through violence and war.”
