DUBAI: Iran is close to choosing a new Supreme Leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, tasked with choosing the new leader, told state TV on Wednesday. “The Supreme Leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion, however the situation in the country is a war situation,” Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state TV.

Ayatollah Khamenei's death following the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes has compelled country's leadership to confront the task of selecting a new supreme leader.

The selection of the late Ali Khamenei’s son, widely seen as a hardliner, signals defiance against both his father’s killing and calls for compromise