Succession rumors swirl after Khamenei sends Khomeini’s grandson to ceremony

Despite his lineage, Hassan Khomeini lacks executive, administrative, or economic management experience.

By Mardo Soghom, Middle East Forum

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was absent from a traditional annual gathering on February 9, 2026, marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In his place, he appointed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, triggering speculation that the younger cleric could be positioning himself as a potential successor to the 86-year-old leader.

The gathering commemorates a pivotal moment in February 1979, when Iranian air force officers met Khomeini and pledged allegiance to him, three days before the formal establishment of the Islamic government.

Since then, the ceremony has acquired near-sacred status within the clerical system. Khamenei’s absence this year therefore marked a significant break with tradition. Hassan Khomeini’s role as his representative fueled discussion about succession.

Khamenei’s absence is consistent with his reduced public profile since the Israeli and American air strikes in June 2025 and the Trump administration’s continued military pressure, including the recent deployment of substantial air and naval forces to the region.

Yet succession remains one of the most sensitive issues in Iran’s political system. Khamenei’s preference remains unknown, though many analysts believe he favors his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, a prospect who could face strong public resistance.

An Iranian political analyst who requested anonymity reported that even Khamenei’s current preference may not prove decisive after his death.

Powerful actors within the system—especially within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—could intervene and elevate a more hardline cleric of their choosing.

Hassan Khomeini has cultivated a relatively reformist image and often appears alongside less-radical figures within the establishment.

However, during the nationwide protests in January 2026, when the government used military force and killed an estimated 35,000 civilians, he adopted a firm stance aligned with the ruling system.

He also echoed official claims that Iran had defeated Israel and the United States in the June 2025 war. This carefully timed positioning likely did not go unnoticed and more likely pleased Khamenei.

One local news outlet observed: “Reactions emerged concerning the issue of succession, particularly from a segment of political figures close to the reformist camp who in recent years have sought to elevate the possibility of Seyed Hassan Khomeini’s succession into a serious topic within the country’s political and media discourse.”

Despite his lineage, Hassan Khomeini lacks executive, administrative, or economic management experience.

He currently oversees his grandfather’s state-funded memorial foundation, which receives millions of dollars annually to maintain the mausoleum and affiliated institutions.

In the event of political upheaval, that position could evaporate. Anti-regime and anti-Islamist activists have openly pledged to repurpose the elaborate tomb complex into a casino or discotheque.

Khamenei’s decision to send Hassan Khomeini to the ceremony may reflect both tactical calculation and limited alternatives.

He could have declined to appoint anyone, but that would have stripped the event of its symbolic core—the pledge of allegiance to the ruling leader.

Canceling the ceremony altogether would have projected weakness following last year’s Israeli air strikes and this year’s mass protests.

Sending another senior cleric might have intensified succession rumors. Choosing Hassan Khomeini, at least, could be justified by his direct lineage to the Islamic Republic’s founder.

Even so, one tradition was undermined. Khomeini’s speech was not published by state news organizations and its content remains unknown, whereas Khamenei’s annual address normally dominates state media coverage.

The muted treatment suggested a subtle but deliberate message: Only Khamenei speaks for the system.

In such a case, Khamenei and his supporters can argue Hassan Khomeini’s presence was symbolic, a reminder of his grandfather’s legacy, not an endorsement of future leadership.