Tehran, Iran. A member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts said the clerical body tasked with choosing the next supreme leader has more or less reached a majority consensus, while noting that some obstacles remain in the process.
His comments followed reports of a minor disagreement within the assembly over whether the final decision must be made at an in-person meeting or could be issued without that formality.
Mirbaqeri cites remaining obstacles
Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri, a member of the Assembly of Experts, said on Sunday that the body has more or less reached a majority consensus on the successor to the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mehr news agency quoted him as saying that “some obstacles” still needed to be resolved regarding the process.
Timing and procedure of the selection
On Saturday, a senior cleric in the Assembly of Experts said its members would meet “within one day” to choose the leader. Iranian media reported that the group had a minor disagreement over whether their final decision must follow an in-person meeting or instead be issued without adhering to this formality.
Heidari Alekasir says in-person vote not possible
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir, another member of the Assembly of Experts, said in a video released by Nournews on Sunday that an in-person meeting by the assembly for a final vote was not possible under current conditions.
He said a candidate had been picked based on the late supreme leader’s advice that Iran’s top leader should “be hated by the enemy” instead of praised by it. “Even the Great Satan has mentioned his name,” Heidari Alekasir said, days after US President Donald Trump said that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, was an “unacceptable” choice for him.
What do you think the Assembly of Experts’ reported disagreement over in-person procedures could mean for the timing of the final decision?
