How Is Iran Preparing for the Selection of the New Leader?

SadaNews - As Iranians prepare to mourn the body of the late leader Ali Khamenei, Israel, through its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, threatened to target any leader appointed by the Iranian regime.

Gallant stated, "We have directed the army to prepare and use all means to carry out assassination operations," adding that targeting leaders of the Iranian regime is part of the objectives of Operation "Lion's Roar," referring to the American-Israeli attack on February 28, 2026, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds, including the leader.

On Tuesday, the head of the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council in Iran announced that farewell and mourning ceremonies for the leader would begin at 10 PM today at Imam Khamenei Mosque, explaining that the farewell will continue for three days around the clock, with the burial to be determined later.

According to Al Jazeera correspondent in Tehran, Abdel Fattah Fayez, Iranians are aware of the challenges they face, especially the transitional leadership council led by Iranian President Masoud Bozghashian, which includes the head of the judiciary and a member of the Assembly of Experts, Sheikh Ali Reza A'arafi.

Fayez quotes Iranian officials affirming that the process of selecting a new leader has indeed begun, but without extensive meetings as were held in the main meeting last Saturday, which was targeted by an American-Israeli attack that led to Khamenei's death.

As per the Al Jazeera correspondent, Iranian authorities have not clarified the new mechanism for selecting the new leader, whose name is likely to be announced during the funeral of the late leader. The correspondent also indicates information about the existence of more than one candidate for each position in Iran.

On another note, Iranian authorities clarified that the site which the Israeli army announced it targeted yesterday in Qom did not hold any meetings, confirming that the targeted building is an old site that is no longer in use.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted a senior Israeli official saying that "Israeli fighter jets targeted a meeting of the Assembly of Experts in Qom while it was convening to select a new leader."

The Tasnim news agency reported that an Iranian source stated that "the talk of the Zionist entity about targeting the Assembly of Experts and the transitional leadership council is false" and that the council has not convened since the start of the war on Iran, confirming that the Israeli allegations come within the framework of psychological warfare.

According to the Al Jazeera correspondent, the Iranian supreme leader is chosen from among the members of the Assembly of Experts, which is the main council consisting of 88 well-known religious figures, and it is an important and strategic institution based in the capital, Tehran.

Source: Al Jazeera