Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has threatened to target for assassination any Iranian leader chosen to succeed Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in recent US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
The warning comes amid reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, is the frontrunner to become Iran’s next Supreme Leader.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Katz wrote that any leader selected by what he described as the Iranian “terror regime” to pursue Israel’s destruction, threaten the United States and its allies, or oppress the Iranian people “will be a certain target for assassination, no matter his name or where he hides.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the second-oldest son of Ali Khamenei, is believed to have close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the opposition outlet Iran International, he was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards.
Although Mojtaba is not a senior cleric, has never held elected office, and does not occupy a formal government position, he served in Iran’s armed forces during the Iran-Iraq war and is widely believed to wield significant influence behind the scenes. For years, he has been mentioned as a potential successor to his father.
However, reports indicate he was not among three senior clerics that Ali Khamenei had previously identified as possible successors. The late leader was also said to have opposed the idea of his son taking over, reportedly concerned that it could resemble the hereditary system of the US-backed Shah monarchy that was overthrown during the 1979 Iranian Revolution.