A day after Israeli attacks on Iran missile facilities, a report has suggested that Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seriously ill. According to New York Times, the health condition of Khamenei has raised confusion about who will succeed the 85-year-old leader.
However, there is no official confirmation regarding the health condition of the Iranian leader. Iran's official IRNA news agency on Sunday released a statement quoting Khamenei's statement. According to the agency, Khamenei said Iranian officials should determine how best to demonstrate Iran's power to Israel. Israel's attack "should neither be downplayed nor exaggerated," IRNA quoted him as saying.
Who will succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in May, was the potential successor to Khamenei. The report suggests that with Raisi's demise, now Khamenei's second son Mojtaba, 55, is likely to succeed the Supreme Leader.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is believed to take a final call on the successor.
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In September 2022, Khamenei fell ill following which he cancelled public appearances and meetings. He was on bed rest and kept under observation by a team of doctors after undergoing a surgery for bowel obstruction.
Khamenei has been in power since August 6, 1989 following the death of the previous Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khamenei. With 35 years of reign, he is the longest serving head of state in the Middle East. He was the Iranian President when he took over as the Supreme Leader. His reign saw the rule of six presidents, including Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hassan Rouhani, Ebrahim Raisi and Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran on Sunday said four of its soldiers died on Saturday in the attacks by Israel. The country's military said the IAF warplanes fired "very light warheads" to target border radar systems in Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan.