Ahmad Khatami Denies Letter Regarding Khamenei's Succession After Three Weeks

A member of the Assembly of Experts has denied the publication of a letter from the campaign office of Saeed Jalili, a candidate in the 14th presidential elections, regarding the 'determination of leadership succession by December.' Ahmad Khatami on Sunday, July 17, called the letter 'fake' and stated that he 'strongly' denies it. The letter, dated June 17 of this year, raises questions as to why Ahmad Khatami denied it three weeks later and not at the time of its release. The letter, signed by Mohsen Mansouri, head of Saeed Jalili's campaign office, addressed to the deputy of organization in this office, stated that the Assembly of Experts has a 'serious responsibility' this year and must 'determine' the leadership succession. According to this letter, Ahmad Khatami mentioned that 'by December and based on the previous plan, this important task must necessarily be accomplished; because after that, the likelihood of any event is more probable than ever.' In his denial, the Assembly member referred to the publication of this letter as 'desperate behavior' and claimed that 'the enemy, in its vain hope, wants to fish in the muddy waters of the elections.' A claim by an Assembly member mentioned Khamenei's opposition to 'considering' his son's qualifications as a candidate for future leadership. The Assembly of Experts consists of 88 members whose primary duty is to determine the leader of the Islamic Republic. In recent years, with the advancing age of Ali Khamenei, who is currently 84 years old, the issue of selecting the future leader of the Islamic Republic has been frequently discussed in the media. In this context, the name Mojtaba Khamenei, the 55-year-old son of the Supreme Leader, has also emerged as a potential successor; a topic that government opponents have reacted negatively to during recent protests in Iran with the slogan 'Mojtaba, die so you won't see leadership.' Although Mojtaba Khamenei is mentioned as the most serious candidate for succeeding the current Supreme Leader, the Assembly of Experts in September 2022 dismissed reports about 'hereditary succession' as 'spreading doubt' and claimed that this body only focuses on 'merit-based selection and choosing the best.' According to statements from some members of the Assembly of Experts, including Ahmad Khatami and Mohsen Araki, there is a 'secret committee' within this body that consists of three members and is tasked with determining those who are 'in the running for leadership.' Ahmad Khatami stated in December 2015 that this committee operates 'with complete confidentiality' and 'if the leadership desires, these names will only be presented to him.'