The New York Times, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, age 85, is reportedly facing severe health challenges, which have sparked a “quiet battle” over his succession. While his second-oldest son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is considered a potential successor, the report suggests that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is expected to play a key role in deciding the next Supreme Leader.
Concerns over Khamenei’s succession have heightened following the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last May. Khamenei has served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, following the passing of the role’s first holder, Ruhollah Khomeini.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have indicated they do not seek conflict with Israel. However, social media platform X recently suspended a new Hebrew-language account linked to Ayatollah Khamenei, just a day after its launch. The account, under the handle @Khamenei_Heb, was reportedly taken down for “violating X’s rules” after posting a warning to Israel regarding recent military actions. X’s community guidelines typically prohibit content from “violent and hateful entities” but allow certain exceptions for official state accounts, though Khamenei’s account was suspended despite these exceptions.
This suspension took place against the backdrop of rising tensions