Iran08 March, 20262 min read
Israel Threatens to Strike Mojtaba Khamenei
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Israel's military posted on X, warning it would target anyone attending Iran's successor-selection meeting Iran's Assembly of Experts reportedly reached majority consensus on Mojtaba Khamenei as successor
Threats over Iran succession
Israel's military publicly warned it would target anyone involved in choosing Iran's next supreme leader. It addressed members of the Assembly of Experts and explicitly threatened those who attend a selection session in Qom. An army message posted in Farsi told Assembly members planning to attend the Qom session, "We will not hesitate to target you as well," and multiple outlets reported the Israel Defense Forces framed participation in the succession process as making people legitimate targets.
“Israel's military warned it would target whoever is chosen to succeed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—and anyone involved in that selection—in an unprecedented threat directed at Iran's Assembly of Experts. In a statement posted on X in Farsi, the army specifically told Assembly members planning to attend the selection session in Qom, ‘We will not hesitate to target you as well.’”
Khamenei succession reports
Several outlets report that Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, is the apparent or reported consensus choice to succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Regime-affiliated Iranian media and multiple regional outlets described Mojtaba as the apparent consensus pick. Other reports note that Iranian state media had not officially confirmed a successor and that some official channels denied a decision had been publicly made.
Assembly succession disagreement
There is disagreement about how the Assembly will formalize a successor. Some members signalled a majority agreement but cited obstacles to meeting in person.
“Members of the Assembly of Experts — the body that selects the supreme leader — gave mixed signals: Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri said a majority agree but obstacles remain, while Hossein Mozaffari claimed a selection meeting would occur within 24 hours.”
Others spoke of an imminent session, and reports describe a temporary leadership council or a 'best possible option' being advanced when a formal face-to-face vote is impractical. Officials quoted in several outlets said an in-person meeting in Qom is currently infeasible, while other assembly figures suggested a vote could occur quickly, producing mixed signals about procedure and timing.
Succession amid regional escalation
All of these succession reports appear against a backdrop of heavy regional escalation. Some accounts link the developments to strikes and retaliatory operations. At least one outlet said Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strike of an operation named in reporting.
Other outlets described retaliatory strikes by Iran following reported US and Israeli attacks. Regional and international outlets repeatedly cite that context when covering the succession and associated security threats.
Reporting access and verification
Public confirmation, full texts of some reports, and independent verification remain limited; several outlets in the provided set either could not display full articles or stated they lacked access to source texts, while other outlets explicitly recorded denials or withheld official confirmation.
“I can't summarize it because you didn't include the article text or a link. Please either paste the article (or a link to it) or tell me its headline, source, and date.”
This pattern—mixed claims in open reporting combined with paywall or access limitations—means details remain unsettled across the available coverage.
