Tel Aviv / Tehran — Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz,z has issued a direct warning that any leader appointed to succeed the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be considered an “unequivocal target for elimination” if they continue policies threatening Israel, the United States or regional allies.
The warning was posted by Katz on X on Wednesday and comes as Iran’s Assembly of Experts has reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei — the son of the slain Supreme Leader — as his successor, though no official confirmation has been issued by Iranian state media.
The strike that killed Khamenei formed part of Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli military campaign that also eliminated seven senior Iranian defence officials last Saturday.
Direct Threat to Future Leadership
“Any leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan to destroy Israel, threaten the US and the free world and the countries of the region, and oppress the Iranian people, will be an unequivocal target for elimination,” Katz said.
“It does not matter what his name is or the place where he hides,” he added.
Katz said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and he had instructed the IDF to “prepare and act by all means” to carry out the mission as part of the objectives of Operation Lion Roar — the Israeli military campaign operating alongside the US’s Operation Epic Fury.
Mojtaba Khamenei — The Expected Successor
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has reportedly selected Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, as the country’s next Supreme Leader, with sources indicating the decision was made amid strong influence from the IRGC. The Jerusalem Post
Mojtaba was initially believed to have been killed in the stri,ke but reports of his name being passed around to succeed his father indicate he is alive. He has been known for his staunch adherence to his father’s hardline conservatism and has close ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Jerusalem Post
Israeli media described Mojtaba as having a harder-line position than his father and being behind the violent crackdowns on protesters in Iran. In November 2019, the US Treasury Department issued sanctions against him. Al Jazeera
Iranian state media has not confirmed the appointment. Clerics are said to be wary of formally declaring Mojtaba as the supreme leader, fearing he will more likely be targeted by the US and Israel. NPR
Broader Campaign Against Command Structures
Israel targeted a building associated with Iran’s Assembly of Experts on Tuesday, the body responsible for selecting the new supreme leader. The Jerusalem Post
Israeli forces have already targeted facilities linked to Iran’s defence establishment and locations associated with the clerical leadership network. Military sources say the objective is to prevent the rapid reorganisation of both political and military command systems.
Succession Process and Constitutional Context
After Khamenei’s death, Iran was being ruled by a three-person transitional council consisting of two of the supreme leader’s top lieutenants and President Masoud Pezeshkian, which would rule until the 88-member Assembly of Experts elects the new leader. The Jerusalem Post
The succession is taking place under extraordinary circumstances, with heightened military pressure and international scrutiny. Any successor would inherit sweeping constitutional powers that shape Iran’s domestic and foreign policy, as well as command authority over the armed forces.
Regional and International Implications
Iran’s state media has announced that Iranians will bid farewell to the late Supreme Leader in a ceremonial event beginning Wednesday night at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini prayer ground, spanning three days. Wikipedia
Security analysts warn that Israel’s open-ended targeting rhetoric against Iran’s highest office risks broadening the scope of the conflict, particularly if interpreted as a policy of leadership decapitation extending beyond the current operation.
Senior Iranian officials have already vowed retaliation for the strikes that killed Khamenei and senior defence figures, with Ali Larijani warning that US military bases across the Middle East remain in Iran’s crosshairs.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more facts are confirmed.
