Secrecy surrounds talk of choosing a successor to Iran’s supreme leader
Portraits of clerics, including Ali al-Sistani, Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini in Najaf, Iraq. By Erin Cunningham and Erin Cunningham Middle East reporter covering Iran, Turkey, Syria and the wider region Email Bio Follow Mustafa Salim March 20 at 7:04 PM NAJAF, Iraq — Wedged in the corner of a squat brick building in this holy Muslim city, Sheikh Aladdin al-Jazari's cramped office belies his ties to a powerful patron: the supreme leader of Iran.
“The chosen one, the one who will replace Khamenei — his identity will not be revealed until the process is final,” said Jazari, who wears a black turban signifying his status as a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad. He is a senior religious figure in Harakat al-Nujaba, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq that was designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization March 5.
But the inner workings of Iran’s Islamic system — which is based on a contested Shiite doctrine known as wilayat al-faqih, or “guardianship of the jurist” — is notoriously opaque. And efforts to determine the next steps have become somewhat of a parlor game in both the Iranian capital Tehran and in Najaf. The names being bandied about to succeed the supreme leader include those of the chief of the judiciary, the head of a powerful advisory council and Khamenei’s own son.
Sheikh Khaled al-Baghdadi, pictured in his home in Najaf, Iraq, in February, is close to Iraq’s most senior cleric, and Khamenei rival, Ayatollah Ali Sistani. But even as Khamenei has consolidated power — promoting allies and empowering the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is tasked with safeguarding the Islamic system — Iran is facing an uncertain period as its economy falters and tensions with the United States rise.
According to Iran’s constitution, if Khamenei dies or is otherwise incapacitated, a leadership council would be formed to lead for an interim period. A separate body, known as the Assembly of Experts, is responsible for naming a successor.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Explainer: How to read an aircraft's black boxFrance's BEA safety investigators are searching for clues as to what caused...
Lire la suite »
Explainer - How to read an aircraft's black boxThis the noise that comes from an aircraft’s black box following a crash at sea. Reuters explains how the recording device works
Lire la suite »
Playbook PMSen. Richard Blumenthal says Trump’s rhetoric is ‘a factor’ in New Zealand massacre.' More in our PM playbook:
Lire la suite »
Japanese spacecraft will blast crater into asteroid to collect underground samplesJapan's Hayabusa 2 spacecraft will blast crater into asteroid to collect samples. - NBCNewsMACH
Lire la suite »
The Science Behind Why We Use ‘F’ WordsAncient diet changes may have altered how humans speak and spawned an increase in the use of words that include “F” sounds, according to a new study.
Lire la suite »
5 things to know about Boeing's problems over new airplaneInvestigators at a lab in France and a field in Ethiopia are looking for clues into the second deadly accident involving Boeing's newest jetliner. Here are 5 things to follow as the investigation continues. airlinewriter
Lire la suite »
Mueller's busy week offers new signs his report is coming soonThe Mueller probe appears to be in the home stretch. Some Trump aides and advisers have been making that claim for more than a year, with little basis. But the signs are mounting that it’s finally happening
Lire la suite »
Japan to make crater on asteroid to get underground samples
Lire la suite »