Iran's supreme leader names possible successors in case he is killed, according to The New York Times

Washington.- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly named three possible successors from a bunker where he is taking refuge in case he dies in an Israeli or American attack, reports this Saturday The New York Times.

The newspaper, which cites three Iranian officials familiar with the situation, claims that Jamenei, 86 years old, would have instructed the Assembly of Experts of his country, the clerical body responsible for appointing the supreme leader, to quickly choose his successor from among the three high-ranking clerics he has proposed.

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Succession within the Islamic Republic is a delicate and thorny process, but the ayatollah wants to ensure a quick and orderly transition to preserve his legacy amid the war with Israel, adds the newspaper. The supreme leader is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and heads the executive, legislative and judicial powers, as well as being the highest religious authority of Shiism, the majority branch of Islam in Iran.

Israel and the US do not rule out action against Iran's supreme leader

The direct conflict between Israel and Iran —the most serious between the two to date— began last week, following the Israeli bombing of nuclear and military installations in Iranian territory. Since then, both countries have exchanged a series of air strikes. For his part, US President Donald Trump has stated that in the next two weeks he will decide whether his country will join the Israeli attacks, with the aim of preventing the Islamic Republic from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that assassinating Khamenei "would end the conflict," while Trump claimed to know the whereabouts of the supreme leader, although he ruled out killing him "for now."