As Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains in hiding amid joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes, Iranian officials have intensified internal discussions about his possible successor.

Axar.az, citing Fox News, reports that a three-member committee, appointed by Khamenei, has reportedly accelerated its search, with two leading candidates emerging: his son Mojtaba Khamenei and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founder.

Mojtaba, aligned with hardline factions and closely involved with the IRGC and Basij, is seen as a natural ideological successor.

Hassan Khomeini, a reformist cleric, appeals to moderates and has publicly warned of growing public dissatisfaction.

No final decision has been made, and sources suggest that additional candidates could still emerge, with Khamenei maintaining ultimate authority despite his isolation.