Reference News, March 3 report. According to the U.S. Consumer News and Business Channel on March 2, Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israel joint air strike, prompting the Iranian leadership to immediately enter an urgent process of selecting a new Supreme Leader.

During this process, a temporary three-member committee will assume the duties of the Supreme Leader until the successor is officially appointed.

The committee's powers are strictly transitional, while selecting the next Supreme Leader is the exclusive constitutional power of the "Assembly of Experts."

Here are some key contenders:

Gholam-Hussein Mousavi Ejehi

Mousavi Ejehi has served as the head of the Iranian judiciary since July 2021, overseeing the Iranian judicial system and legal policies throughout the country.

He previously served as the chief prosecutor from 2009 to 2014, and earlier held positions in the national security apparatus, including serving as the intelligence minister from 2005 to 2009.

He has also been a long-standing member of the "Committee of Determining the Interests of the Country," a key advisory body for the Iranian leadership. His career spans multiple senior positions in both the judicial and security sectors.

Hassan Khomeini

The Council on Foreign Relations believes that as the grandson of Iran's Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini, Hassan Khomeini could theoretically serve as a bridge between the revolutionary factions and the reformist group.

The Council on Foreign Relations states that appointing someone like him may help maintain Iran's core structure, improve Iran's international isolation, and ease domestic public discontent.

Ali Reza Alavi

Alavi is a high-ranking religious figure in Iran, with significant influence in both the country's religious and political systems. Through a series of key appointments, he has gradually risen within the religious hierarchy, and he is also a member of the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts (the constitutionally mandated institution responsible for selecting Iran's Supreme Leader).

Alavi's influence over religious education and his role in reviewing political candidates make him a central figure in Iran's religious power structure.

Amin Saikal, emeritus professor at the University of Western Australia, noted that although Mousavi Ejehi, as a member of the three-person committee, appears to be leading, the Assembly of Experts may also choose another member or even someone outside the committee. (Translated by Zhu Li)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7613023811776135716/

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