Cleric says Iran’s next leader has been chosen

Israel’s military warned that it would pursue any successor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as anyone involved in appointing the next leader.

In a statement, the Israeli military said Iran’s ruling system was trying to rebuild itself and choose a new leader after Khamenei’s killing, and said the Assembly of Experts was expected to convene soon in Qom.

The military said Israel would continue to track “every successor” and “every person who seeks to appoint a successor,” and issued a direct warning to those planning to take part in the meeting.

“We warn all those who intend to participate in the meeting to choose a successor that we will not hesitate to target you as well,” it said.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that a prolonged war could leave the country unable to sell or even produce oil.

“If the war continues like this, there will be neither a way to sell oil nor the ability to produce it,” Ghalibaf wrote on social media.

He also criticized US President Donald Trump’s comments about oil prices, saying that the conflict risks harming not only US interests but also those of countries across the region and the world.

“Trump said oil prices would not rise very much, now that they have risen, he says they will soon be corrected.”

Iran said it is exercising its right to self-defense after what it described as an “unlawful US-Israeli war of aggression.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the attacks had “torpedoed diplomatic efforts” and “shattered the very foundations of international law.”

“Silence and indifference in the face of such flagrant violations and atrocities will only further erode the credibility of the global legal order and embolden future aggressors,” he wrote on X.

US President Donald Trump dismissed threats from Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani, telling CBS News he had no idea who Larijani was and that he “couldn’t care less.”

Trump was responding after Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said earlier on Saturday that Trump must “pay the price” for the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about, who he is. I couldn’t care less,” Trump said, adding, "He intended to take over the Middle East and he's conceded and surrendered to all of those countries because of me."

Trump also said US strikes would continue as he presses Iran for what he called an “unconditional surrender.”

A senior member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts said a majority consensus has been reached on a successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but that obstacles remain before the choice can be formally announced.

Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, a member of the clerical body tasked with appointing the country’s leader, said the Assembly had broadly agreed on a candidate but that “some obstacles regarding the process need to be resolved,” according to remarks reported by Mehr News.

Separately, Mohsen Heidari AleKasir, a representative from Khuzestan province in the Assembly of Experts, said current security conditions prevented members from gathering in person to formally select the new leader.

“Due to the current conditions, it is not possible to hold an in-person meeting to select the leader,” he said, adding that the “most suitable option” had already been chosen and had the backing of a majority of the Assembly.

“Even the Great Satan (the United States) has mentioned his name,” Heidari said of the chosen successor, appearing to confirm Iran International’s report that Mojtaba Khamenei had been selected – days after US President Donald Trump said Khamenei’s son was “unacceptable.”

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Haidari also said that the late Supreme Leader had not designated a successor and had left the decision to the Assembly of Experts.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly – an 88-member clerical body – is responsible for selecting and overseeing the country’s supreme leader.

Sources familiar with internal discussions, however, say the Assembly has already selected Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of the late supreme leader, though divisions remain over how and when to publicly announce the decision.

According to those sources, the vote took place during an online session of the Assembly held last week amid heightened security tensions and ongoing military strikes targeting Iranian facilities.

The session, convened after damage to government buildings and security concerns, was held remotely and under pressure to quickly resolve the leadership question.

Several members of the Assembly have expressed objections to Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection, warning that appointing the son of the late leader risks reinforcing perceptions of hereditary rule in the Islamic Republic.

Critics have also raised questions about Mojtaba Khamenei’s clerical standing and whether his religious credentials meet the traditional requirements for the position of supreme leader.

Sources said some Assembly members threatened to boycott a follow-up meeting or challenge the legitimacy of the process if the announcement proceeds without further discussion.

The Assembly’s leadership has delayed a formal public declaration while attempting to manage disagreements over the process and timing of the announcement.