Iranian opposition website "Iran International" revealed that, under the strong pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Assembly of Experts has elected Mojtaba, the second son of Supreme Leader Khamenei, as the next Supreme Leader.
Although the Iranian official has not officially confirmed it, officials familiar with the situation have disclosed that the probability of Mojtaba becoming the Supreme Leader is very high.
He is also a target of U.S. and Israeli targeted killings, but this time he was lucky enough to escape, however, his entire family was "completely wiped out."
Carrying the "tragedy of family destruction," if "the son follows the father's footsteps," Iran's policies will become even more hardline, which is the worst outcome in Trump's view.
Although the news of Mojtaba's succession as the supreme leader has not been officially confirmed by Iran, we can still make an assumption or prediction —
If he is elected, his policy options may mainly be based on two points. First, the foundation is in the hardliners: he has a deep relationship with the IRGC, played a key role during the presidency of Ahmadinejad, and has long been responsible for security and intelligence affairs. Second, or breaking the balance of power: analysts point out that this marks the absolute dominance of the hardline conservatives (IRGC) in the power struggle, making the regime more military and security institution-oriented. It signifies a more hardline policy towards the U.S. and Israel.
However, the internal situation in Iran is not entirely unified: there are indeed differences within the Assembly of Experts. Some members are concerned that openly promoting him at this time would immediately make him a target for U.S. and Israeli "targeted killings." At the same time, the IRGC is desperately trying to prevent the collapse of the regime and internal unrest caused by air strikes and command interruptions.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858737217534044/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.