This article discusses the successors of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who is 85 years old and has health issues.
President Ibrahim Raisi was considered a possible candidate, but his lack of charisma and limited administrative experience kept him far from the running list, with his recent death drawing attention to other possible successors.
Sadiq Larijani is a possible candidate who is a religious scholar and former head of Iran’s Judiciary. However, their influence is waning and they have been at odds with the Radical Movement and the Guardian Council, so Khamenei has little chance of a successor. In August 2021, the Guardian Council announced that Sadiq Larijani had not yet signed Raisi’s credentials, adding that he was currently
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Present at that time. After the death of former President Ibrahim Raisi, Sadiq Larijani tried for re-election, but the Guardian Council did not give him a chance.
Former President Hassan Rouhani is a possible candidate. He is seen as a very moderate revolutionary defender and a confidant of the radical movement. But his support for a reformist candidate in recent elections and his forging ties with the world have moved him further away from that era.
Hassan Al-Mustafa said:
The late Raisi did not have the popularity that would have allowed him to be the strongest candidate to succeed Khamenei.
It is speculated that neither Lorijani nor Raisi will replace the successor. Instead, a leadership council or an unknown figure with the support of the Radical Council and the IGRC may take over. This may have been a deliberate move to avoid the appointment of a powerful ruler and maintain a balance of power within the government. The next Supreme Leader will play an important role in shaping the future of Iran, establish good relations with the international community and emerge as a new power in the world.
