The Islamic Republic and the Succession Debate of Khamenei Amidst Public Opposition to the Regime

Following the escalation of military tensions between the Iranian government and Israel, and simultaneously with the elimination of key leaders of proxy groups supported by the Islamic Republic in the region by Israel, the issue of a successor to Ali Khamenei has become a hot topic these days. Several government clerics have recently announced from important platforms such as Friday prayers that the Assembly of Experts has introduced three individuals as candidates for the leadership of the Islamic Republic after Khamenei's death. Among these names are Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali A'arafi, and Hashem Hosseini Bushehri. Kianoush Razaghi, a lawyer, and Mohammad Javad Akbarin, a journalist and researcher, participated in a nightly analytical program on Voice of America on Tuesday, November 28, to express their views on these names, the possible successor to Ali Khamenei, and the reaction of the Iranian people to this issue. Mohammad Javad Akbarin rejected the options of Ali A'arafi and Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, stating: 'The Islamic Republic lacks the wisdom for survival but has no intention of annihilation either; it will not appoint individuals like A'arafi and Hosseini Bushehri, who have no background or experience in governing the country, as future leaders.' He added regarding Mojtaba Khamenei: 'Mojtaba Khamenei has been directly and indirectly involved in the administration of the country for the past two decades, and this presence in the country's decision-making can make him the main candidate to succeed his father.' Kianoush Razaghi, however, rejected the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father, stating: 'The propaganda and actions of the Islamic Republic in recent years show that the Iranian regime always keeps its main candidate hidden from view and news to remain immune from criticism and threats, and at the opportune moment, imposes it on society.' Both guests of the Voice of America analytical program rejected the likelihood of any candidate being accepted for the future leadership of the Islamic Republic by the Iranian people, emphasizing that all Iranians have collectively moved beyond the 'principle of Velayat-e Faqih' and the Islamic Republic system and are calling for the overthrow of the regime. They also dismissed the propaganda comparing Mojtaba Khamenei to Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, considering him complicit in his father's actions. Kianoush Razaghi concluded the program by responding to a question about predicting how Ali Khamenei's death might occur, asserting that the leader of the Islamic Republic will likely not die of natural causes or be killed in a military attack by Israel; rather, individuals close to him within the regime will end his life to preserve their own survival and will portray it as a natural death. Ali Hosseini Khamenei, known as Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was born in 1939 and has been the second leader of the Islamic Republic since 1989, and at 85 years old, he is among the six oldest heads of state in the world.