Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated by the US and Israel last month, had reservations about his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeding him, according to US intelligence reports cited by CBS News.
The elder Khamenei viewed Mojtaba as inexperienced and unqualified for leadership, the outlet reported.
Mojtaba, 56, was officially appointed Iran's supreme leader on March 9 by the Assembly of Experts, following his father's assassination on February 28.
Mojtaba reportedly sustained injuries in the strike and remains within the inner circle of Iran's leadership.
“In Khamenei's will, he explicitly asked Mojtaba not to be named as successor,” said Khosro Isfahani, a research director for the opposition group National Union for Democracy with ties to Iranian intelligence, as per an NY Post report earlier.
“Mojtaba is an impotent young cleric who has achieved nothing in terms of political life,” Isfahani said. “All these years, he has been nothing without his father's name.”
Earlier, Israeli intelligence similarly reported that Ali Khamenei had opposed his son's succession.
Mojtaba's appointment did not follow traditional procedures; the IRGC reportedly pressured the Assembly of Experts to approve him, with some clerics allegedly boycotting the vote.
The IRGC's rise “is the opposite of what Khamenei wanted for his country,” the CBS report said. Their campaign to elevate Mojtaba has reportedly “turned Iran back into a hierarchical kingdom.”
Mojtaba's current condition is unclear. Israeli intelligence suggests he may have been injured in the strike that killed his father and dozens of senior leaders, but he is “likely not dead.”
A source told The Times, “Very few people know his real status. There are many different versions, and Israelis don't know which version is the right one.”
US President Donald Trump said, “I don't know if he's even alive. So far, nobody's been able to show him.” He added, “If he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that's surrender.”
The US government has offered a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts and those of nine other senior Iranian officials.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
