Iran’s 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 “seriously ill.” According to a New York Times According to the report, the 85-year-old Iranian supreme leader is suffering from a serious illness. The report suggested that Khamenei’s second-eldest son, Mojtaba Khamenei, will likely succeed him when he dies.

The American media outlet mentioned that Khamenei’s condition 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 be the country’s new successor when Khamenei dies.

It is pertinent to note that concerns about finding the successor to the Iranian supreme leader increased after the death of the country’s radical president, Ebrahim Raisi. The Iranian president and foreign minister died in a helicopter crash in May this year.

Iran seeks plans to retaliate

Khamenei has been Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989, after the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the first to hold the title. The New York Times The report came shortly after Israel carried out a retaliatory “precision strike” against several Iranian military targets. Israeli authorities noted that the operation was carried out in response to Iran’s missile 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. While attacking military targets in Iran, reports said Israel had also attacked targets in Iraq and Syria. The Jerusalem Post reported.

Amid all the chaos and speculation about his health, the Iranian Supreme Leader opened a Hebrew account on X, formally known as Twitter, shortly after the Israeli attack. His first post read: “In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate.”

בשם אללה הרחמן והרחום

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

Meanwhile, on Saturday, US President Joe Biden said he hopes Israel’s latest strikes against Iran mark the end of a months-long cycle of airstrikes. “I hope this is the end,” he told reporters. The president maintained that the Israeli authorities warned him and apparently “hit nothing but military objectives” in their attacks. 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 contributions from agencies.