Khamenei successor silent as army gains power

According to several sources, the Revolutionary Guards pushed through the appointment of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the recently killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They reportedly see him as a more compliant version of his father who would support their hardline policies and ignore the concerns of pragmatists.

Fears of a more aggressive stance abroad and stricter repression at home are also fuelled by the fact that the new leader has not delivered a speech even two days after his election. The capital, Tehran, is facing heavy bombing, and more than 1,300 civilians have reportedly been killed in US–Israeli attacks.

Some Iranian officials are even warning that the country could gradually turn into a military-run state. Khamenei’s appointment had originally been expected to be announced on Sunday morning but, according to five sources, continuing opposition to his election delayed the announcement until late in the evening.

There have also been reports that Mojtaba Khamenei may have been injured in recent air strikes or is remaining silent out of concern for his own safety following the assassination of his father on February 28.

(reuters, mja)