Iranian Khamenei ‘seriously ill’, son likely to take power as country plans retaliation against Israel: report – Firstpost

As Iran plans its retaliatory attack on Israel, reports are emerging that the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is “gravely ill.” According to one New York Times According to the report, the 85-year-old Iranian supreme leader is suffering from a serious medical condition. The report suggested that Khamenei’s second-eldest son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is likely to succeed him if he dies.

The US news outlet reported that Khamenei’s condition has sparked a major battle over who will be his successor. It is believed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would also have a say in who would become the country’s new successor if Khamenei dies.

It is pertinent to note that concerns over finding the successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader have increased following the death of the country’s radical president, Ebrahim Raisi. The Iranian president and the foreign minister died in a helicopter crash in May this year.

Iran is looking for plans to retaliate

Khamenei has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the first to hold this title. The New York Times The report came shortly after Israel carried out a retaliatory strike against several Iranian military targets. Israeli authorities noted that the operation was carried out in response to Iran’s rocket attack on October 1.

Iranian officials have said that while they do not want to escalate the conflict with Israel, any act of aggression will not go unanswered. In attacking military targets in Iran, reports said Israel also hit targets in Iraq and Syria. The Jerusalem Post reported.

Amid all the chaos and speculation about his health, Iran’s Supreme Leader opened a Hebrew-language account on X, formally known as Twitter, shortly after the Israeli attack. His first message read: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate.”

More information

— Khamenei.ir Hebrew (@Khamenei_Heb) October 26, 2024

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said on Saturday he hopes Israel’s latest strikes on Iran will mark the end of the months-long cycle of airstrikes. “I hope this is the end,” he told reporters. The president claimed that Israeli authorities had given him a warning and that it appeared that “in their attacks they had not hit anything other than military targets.” The Guardian reported. With just a few months left in office, the Biden administration is now pushing to revive stalled ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.

With input from authorities.