Reference News Network, 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 an urgent process to elect a new Supreme Leader within the Iranian leadership.

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

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

Here are some major candidates:

Gholam-Hossein Mousavi Ejehi

Mousavi Ejehi has served as Iran's Prosecutor General since July 2021, overseeing the Iranian judicial system and legal policies across the country.

He previously served as the Chief Prosecutor from 2009 to 2014, and earlier held positions in the national security sector, including serving as the Intelligence Minister from 2005 to 2009.

He is also a long-standing member of the "Guardian Council of the Determination of National Interests," a key advisory body for Iranian leadership. His career spans multiple high-ranking positions in both the judicial and security sectors.

Hassan Khomeini

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

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

Ali-Reza Alavi

Alavi is a senior cleric in Iran, influential in both the country's religious and political systems. He has gradually risen through key appointments in the religious system and is also a member of the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts (the institution designated by the constitution to select Iran's Supreme Leader).

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

Amin Saikal, emeritus professor at the University of Western Australia, believes that although Mousavi Ejehi, a member of the three-member 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/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.