Trump says Iran wants to talk but who will lead after Khamenei?

As the White House confirmed connected Sunday, the Islamic Republic of Iran's enactment has contacted the U.S. asking for talks. The database of imaginable successors to regenerate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed connected Saturday by an Israeli airstrike, includes his lad and erstwhile advisers. 

Since the constitution successful 1979 of the Islamic Republic, led by the fiery anti-American Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, this volition beryllium lone the 2nd clip that a caller ultimate person has been selected. 

The imaginable successors to Khamenei see a database of hard-line anti-Western extremists who, similar Khamenei, are acceptable connected the demolition of Israel and the continued export of the Islamic revolution.

Ali Larijani warned Trump that US interference would 'destroy America's interests' aft president's protestation comments. (Str/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Ali Larijani

One imaginable successor is authorities loyalist Ali Larijani, the caput of the Supreme National Security Council, who reportedly implemented Khamenei’s program to massacre implicit 30,000 Iranians who protested against his authorities successful January.

On Saturday, helium threatened a effect successful a connection connected X connected Saturday, writing, "We volition marque the Zionist criminals and the vile Americans regret it," adding, "The brave soldiers and the large federation of Iran volition present an unforgettable acquisition to the hell-bound oppressors of the planetary order."

In January, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Larijani arsenic 1 of "the architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown connected peaceful demonstrators." The connection added, "Larijani was 1 of the archetypal Iranian leaders to telephone for unit successful effect to the morganatic demands of the Iranian people."

Ali Larijani, addresses a property league successful Tehran, Iran. (Henghameh Fahimi/AFP via Getty Images)

Larijani was the president of the Islamic Republic’s parliament and, similar Khamenei, has engaged successful Holocaust denial. Larijani was besides a commandant for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S. and EU-designated violent organization.

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Beni Sabti, an Iran adept astatine the Institute of National Security Studies successful Israel, questioned reports claiming that Larijani is favourite to beryllium the adjacent ultimate leader. He told Fox News Digital, "Larijani is not a cleric, but helium tin assistance immoderate of the candidates who are clerics down the curtains, specified arsenic his brother, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, who was caput of the judiciary." 

Mohammad-Javad Larijani

The caput wide of the High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, attends a gathering with overseas ambassadors successful Iran, connected June 24, 2019, successful the superior Tehran.  (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Mohammad-Javad Larijani has called for the demolition of Israel and denied the Holocaust. He was antecedently caput wide of Iran's precocious assembly for quality rights. 

As a adjacent advisor to the precocious ultimate leader, helium has defended stoning for adultery, declaring it protects "family values" arsenic portion of Islamic law. 

Mojataba Khamenei

File photograph shows Mojtaba Khamenei, lad of Iran's precocious Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attending a objection to people Jerusalem time successful Tehran.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Another replacement for Khamenei mightiness beryllium his 2nd son, Mojtaba, who works intimately with IRGC. The archetypal Trump medication sanctioned him successful 2019. 

According to the Treasury Department authorisation designation, "The Supreme Leader has delegated a portion of his enactment responsibilities to Mojataba Khamenei, who worked intimately with the commandant of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and besides the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to beforehand his father’s destabilizing determination ambitions and oppressive home objectives." 

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Iran International reported that the IRGC seeks a rapid-fire replacement for Khamenei. The Islamic strategy successful Iran prescribes an elected assemblage of 88 elder clerics—the Assembly of Experts—to prime the adjacent leader.

Iranian worshippers clasp up their hands arsenic signs of unity with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during an anti-Israeli rally to condemn Israel's attacks connected Iran, successful downtown Tehran, Iran, connected June 20, 2025.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Alireza Arafi

The cleric and jurist Alireza Arafi, 67, who is portion of a three-person impermanent enactment assembly to tally Iran mightiness besides beryllium the successor to Khamenei.

According to the U.S.group United Against a Nuclear Iran, Arafi promised "death" to protesters who sound implicit the turbans of Iranian Islamic clerics. "Those who onslaught the turbans of the clergy should cognize that the turban volition go their shroud," Arafi said. 

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People ticker arsenic fume rises connected the skyline aft an detonation successful Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo) (AP Photo)

Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri 

The extremist Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Mirbagheri is besides a contender to regenerate Khamenei. Mirbagheri argues for warring and overcoming "infidels." 

Mirbagheri has quoted Iran's archetypal Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, declaring that a "new civilization based connected Islam successful the world" would mean "hardship, martyrdom and hunger" and that Iranian radical had "voluntarily chosen" to clasp this activity, according to Iran International. Mirbagheri’s theological credentials presumption him arsenic a earthy replacement for Khamenei.

Other names

Another clerical successor to Khamenei being discussed is Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is the custodian of the Khomeini mausoleum and, astatine 53 is young by the Islamic Republic’s standards for leadership.

United Against a Nuclear Iran ranked Ayatollah Seyyed Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, who was calved successful 1956 successful Bardkhun, Bushehr, a 2nd tier campaigner to regenerate Khamenei.

Cars pain successful a thoroughfare during a protestation implicit the illness of the currency’s worth successful Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

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"Bushehr, is simply a almighty fig successful Iran's spiritual and world spheres. He embarked connected his theological acquisition successful Bushehr earlier moving to Qom to further his studies. 

According to UANI, In 2024, Bushehri urged Iranian women to "address issues specified arsenic the presumption of women's rights successful Western societies and the flaws that beryllium successful this country successful the West," which would forestall the "enemy [the West]" to "not adjacent person a accidental to challenges america [Iran]."

Iran analyst, Sabti, who was calved successful Tehran, said, "I don’t deliberation that Israel and the U.S. should let them to take the adjacent leader." He compared the successor strategy to Hamas erstwhile Israel eliminates a Hamas violent leader, and helium is swiftly replaced with a caller leader. 

TEHRAN, IRAN - FEBRUARY 28: Smoke rises implicit the metropolis halfway aft an Israeli service launches 2nd question of airstrikes connected Iran connected Feb. 28, 2026.  (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"There is simply a request to "prevent the adjacent person from being chosen," helium said. "Maybe we tin destruct the adjacent 1 adjacent earlier helium is chosen." 

He said it is important to "break the system" to forestall the continuation of terrorism. "It is atrocious for Arab countries and Israel if the authorities remains the same" successful Iran.  

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Sabti said the authorities tin proceed to physique its illicit atomic weapons program, ballistic missiles and sponsor terrorism, adding it is amended to dissolve the authorities and "bring successful a caller system. 

He concluded that authorities alteration requires "talking to the people," and, "maybe it is clip for them to travel retired and marque the bully revolution." 

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