The supreme leader has named three possible replacements in case he is assassinated by Israel, the article says, citing Iranian officials

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has apparently taken precautions in case of an assassination attempt against him, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

Citing unnamed Iranian officials, the Times reported that Iran’s top religious and secular leader has named three possible successors should he be killed by Israel.

Even before the current armed hostilities between Iran and Israel, there was speculation about who might one day replace the 86-year-old head of state.

In Iran, the succession process is actually clearly regulated: the so-called Council of Experts, comprising 88 Islamic jurists and clerics, meets in the event of the death of the leader to determine the successor.