'No official source': Iran govt denies reports of Mojtaba's appointment as Ayatollah Khamenei's successor

After reports emerged in the media that Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei is to take over as the supreme leader of Iran, the Iranian Government on Wednesday, March 4 denied all such claims.

In a post on X, the consulate said, "Reports circulating on media regarding potential candidates for leadership selected by Iran's Assembly of Experts have no official source and are officially denied."

Israeli Media had earlier reported that Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojtaba has been chosen as the successor to his father and will take over as Supreme leader. Senior officials told Israeli Media that the Assembly is expected to formally announce Mojtaba Khamenei as successor in the coming hours.

However, no independent confirmation came from official Iran state media on the development.

Mojtaba was said to have had a major hand in running his late father's office and maintains close ties with the top echelon of the IRGC and the Quds force, said the report.

Israeli media described Mojtaba has having a more hard-line position than his father and being behind the violent crackdowns on protesters in Iran.

In November 2019, the US Treasury Department issued sanctions against Mojtaba. He was designated for representing the then Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position.

Meanwhile, Iran's state media has reported that Iranians will bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a ceremony later tonight at Tehran's Imam Khomeini prayer ground.

The ceremony will last for three days and the funeral procession will be announced when it is finalized.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has attacked US President, accusing him of bombing Iran out of spite even as negotiations were on between the two sides.

In a post on X, Araghchi said, " When complex nuclear negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction, and when big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can never be met. The outcome? Bombing the negotiation table out of spite. Mr. Trump betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him."

Earlier at a news conference in the White House, Trump described the Islamist Regime as 'crazy people' who would have used a nuclear weapon had they had access to it.

"If we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would've had a nuclear war and they would've taken out many countries because you know what? They're sick people. They're mentally ill, sick people. They're angry. They're crazy. They're sick. These people are crazy -- and if they had a nuclear weapon, they would've used it," he said in a news conference on Tuesday night (local time).

The conflict in the West Asia is now in Day 5 following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other key figures in the Persian Gulf country. In retaliation, Tehran has responded with counter-strikes targeting American military bases and other Israeli assets across the region.