Khamenei hands power to son as health declines, report says

“Iranian sources confirm that the duties and powers of the office of Supreme Leader Khamenei have been transferred to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei,” said Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

The health of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is deteriorating, and he has transferred his duties and powers to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, according to a report by Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze on Saturday.

Citing unnamed sources, Ahwaze tweeted that the 81-year-old leader’s health began deteriorating Friday. “Those close to Khamenei are very afraid for Khamenei’s health condition at this time,” he said.

“Iranian sources confirm that the duties and powers of the office of Supreme Leader Khamenei have been transferred to his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who oversees several security and intelligence departments in Iran,” Ahwaze said.

According to the report, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was forced to cancel a meeting with Khamenei on Friday due to the supreme leader’s health condition.

Ahwaze said that Khamenei’s health continued to deteriorate since Friday, which led to the summoning of senior doctors from Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran.

Whether Khamenei’s illness is due to prostate cancer or some other disease is not clear at this point, he said.

Ahwaze’s report has not been officially confirmed.

Iran’s IRNA news agency reported in September 2014 that Khamenei had undergone prostate surgery in Tehran and was discharged in good health after a weeklong hospitalization.

Khamenei’s 51-year-old son has been talked about as a possible successor to his father, although according to Iranian law the supreme leader must be elected by the Assembly of Experts.

Mehdi Karroubi, an Iranian politician who has been under house arrest since 2011 without trial, has expressed doubt about the Assembly of Expert’s ability to carry out its role of electing, supervising, and even disqualifying the supreme leader.

In a letter published on Saham News in January 2018, Karroubi said the Assembly of Experts has turned into a “ceremonial council that only praises the Leader.”