Iran Secretly Elected Its Next Leader, Report Says

Tehran Remains Silent Amid Speculation About Khamenei’s Successor

A new report on Iran's political landscape has revealed that the country has secretly elected its next Supreme Leader, the highest-ranking political and religious figure in the Islamic Republic.

The report, published by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), says that the election was held in early June and that the winner is a mid-ranking cleric named Ebrahim Raisi.

The ISW report cites sources close to the Supreme Leader's office, as well as Iranian opposition figures in exile, as saying that the election was held in secret and that the results have not been officially announced.

Who is Ebrahim Raisi?

Ebrahim Raisi is a conservative cleric who has held several high-ranking positions in the Iranian government, including head of the judiciary and prosecutor general.

He was also a candidate in the 2017 presidential election, but he lost to incumbent President Hassan Rouhani.

Raisi is considered to be a close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and he is seen as a potential successor to Khamenei, who is 83 years old and in ill health.

Implications for Iran's Future

The election of a new Supreme Leader is a significant event in Iranian politics, and it could have major implications for the country's future.

Raisi is a hardliner who is likely to take a more confrontational approach to foreign policy than Rouhani.

He is also likely to crack down on dissent and to restrict social and political freedoms.

Tehran Remains Silent

The Iranian government has not commented on the ISW report, and it is unclear whether the election of a new Supreme Leader has actually taken place.

However, the report has been widely circulated in Iran, and it has sparked a great deal of speculation about the future of the country.