Iran.. The Assembly of Experts convenes within 24 hours to select a new leader

SadaNews - An Iranian member of the Assembly of Experts said on Saturday that the assembly will meet within a day to choose a new Supreme Leader, according to local media reports. The Fars News Agency quoted Hussein Moghaddam, one of the 88 members of the assembly, as saying: "With God's help, this session will be held within the next twenty-four hours." The statement came a week after the assassination of the leader Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack. Moghaddam urged Iranians to "refrain from any speculation and spreading rumors about this matter" as the assembly has not yet convened. Iranian media reported today that two prominent Iranian clerics have called for the swift selection of a new Supreme Leader to lead the country amid a new wave of US and Israeli strikes. These calls suggest that at least some within the religious establishment are uncomfortable with a three-member council temporarily holding power, according to constitutional rules, following Khamenei's death. US President Donald Trump stated that the United States should have a role in selecting the new leader, a demand that Iran rejected. Official media reported that Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a prominent religious authority, said it is necessary to appoint a new Supreme Leader quickly "to help organize the country's affairs better." Official media also reported that senior cleric Hussein Nouri Hamedani urged members of the Assembly of Experts, which is a religious body responsible for choosing the new Supreme Leader, to expedite the process of selecting Khamenei's successor. According to the rules stipulated in the Iranian constitution, a triad consisting of the president, a senior cleric, and the head of the judiciary, will assume the duties of the Supreme Leader until the Assembly of Experts makes a decision. The constitution stipulates the selection of the Supreme Leader within three months, but amid ongoing war, it is unclear when the 88-member Assembly of Experts will be able to convene. Sources reported that some clerics have conducted consultations online.