Successors of Khamenei

Last year, following strikes by the US and Israel, Khamenei picked three candidates to succeed him in the event of an untimely death, according to The New York Times. The three candidates were reported to be Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, head of the judiciary, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Khamenei’s chief of staff, and Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini.

Israel has claimed to have killed Hejazi. Khamenei’s son Mojtaba was also reported to be in the running, however, the Supreme Leader is said to have dismissed his candidacy to prevent a hereditary transition of power.

In the months since the June 2025 strikes, Khamenei handed over large swathes of responsibility to Ali Larijani, the head of the National Security Council. Larijani held meetings with India’s Deputy National Security Adviser Pavan Kapoor last month in Tehran.

Of the three preferred successors, as reported by The New York Times, Hassan Khomeini represents the moderate and reformist factions. Since 2025-end, authorities in Tehran have faced waves of protests over the ongoing economic situation within the country and further with the continued costs of shadow wars across the region.

Tehran has consistently backed its allies, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran has also supported its militias in Iraq to maintain political influence across the region.

The costs of crippling economic sanctions and the proxy conflicts across the region have heavily strained Tehran’s governance. President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024, was heavily favoured to take the reins from Khamenei, given his executive experience and hard-liner support within the corridors of power in Iran. However, his untimely death has further challenged the transition of power within the West Asian nation.