The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei raises significant questions about the country’s future, as a clerical panel is tasked with selecting his replacement in a complex succession process within Iran’s theocracy.
A clerical council selects a new supreme leader
An 88-member panel, known as the Assembly of Experts, is responsible for appointing the supreme leader. The panel also has the authority to remove a supreme leader, though this has never occurred.
The Assembly of Experts consists entirely of Shiite clerics who are popularly elected every eight years, with candidates vetted by the Guardian Council, Iran’s constitutional watchdog. The Guardian Council has a history of disqualifying candidates, including former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was barred from running for the Assembly of Experts in March 2024.
A temporary leadership council may assume duties in case of delay
Iranian law stipulates that the Assembly of Experts “must, as soon as possible” choose a new supreme leader. However, until a successor is named, a leadership council can temporarily assume the duties of the office.
This council would be comprised of Iran’s president, the head of the country’s judiciary, and a member of the Guardian Council chosen by the Expediency Council, which advises the supreme leader and resolves disputes with parliament. Currently, that would include reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.
Khamenei’s son could be a possible contender
Deliberations regarding succession occur privately, making it difficult to assess potential candidates.
Previously, hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi was considered a potential successor, but he died in a helicopter crash in May 2024. This has led to speculation about Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the supreme leader, as a possible candidate, despite his lack of government experience. A father-to-son transfer of power could provoke opposition from both critics of clerical rule and supporters of the system, potentially being viewed as un-Islamic and reminiscent of the pre-1979 monarchy.
A transition like this has happened only once before
There has been only one previous transition of power in the office of the supreme leader since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In 1989, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died at the age of 86 after leading the revolution and the country through its eight-year war with Iraq. This current transition follows a 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran in June 2025.
The vast powers of a supreme leader
The supreme leader holds a central position in Iran’s Shiite theocracy and has ultimate authority over all matters of state.
The supreme leader also serves as commander-in-chief of the country’s military and the Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019. Khamenei significantly empowered the Guard during his rule, and it leads the “Axis of Resistance,” a network of militant groups and allies across the Middle East aimed at countering the US and Israel. The Guard also possesses substantial wealth and holdings within Iran.
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