Khomeini's Grandson Emerges as Potential Successor Amid Iran's Leadership Vacuum

Tehran. Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is likely to emerge as a leading contender in the assembly of clerics tasked with selecting the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The question of who will become Iran's new Supreme Leader has taken a new and serious turn following the death of the 86-year-old Khamenei in an alleged US-Israeli attack. There had been a lack of clarity on this matter for a long time, despite Khamenei's advanced age.

Among the Ayatollah's fifteen grandchildren, Hassan Khomeini is the most recognizable figure. He is considered relatively liberal within Iran's religious establishment. He maintains close ties with reformist leaders, including former Presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani, who pursued policies of increased diplomatic engagement with Western countries, including the US, during their tenures.

The 53-year-old Hassan has played a symbolically important role in public life as the custodian of his grandfather's mausoleum in South Tehran. However, he has not yet held a governmental position.

Some politicians within Iran view him as the main competitor to the hardliners who gained power during Khamenei's era, particularly Khamenei's son, Mojtaba.

Following the unrest that spread across Iran in January, the call for a liberal successor to address growing discontent and strengthen the Islamic Republic is gaining momentum among some Iranian politicians.

• Demand for Accountability in Mahsa Amini's Death

While remaining loyal to the Islamic Republic established after the fall of the Shah's regime in 1979, Hassan has consistently advocated for reform and occasionally criticized officials.

In 2021, after reformists were barred from running in elections, he sharply criticized the Guardian Council, Iran's religious body responsible for vetting candidates, for blocking them. That same move paved the way for the victory of the hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2024.

“You cannot choose someone for me and then tell me to vote for them!” Hassan said at the time.

In 2022, he demanded accountability from the government following the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian young woman who died in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating conservative dress codes. The incident sparked massive nationwide protests.

“The officials must provide transparent and precise answers regarding what happened to this 22-year-old woman under the pretext of guidance and education,” he stated.

However, demonstrating his loyalty to the system, this mid-ranking cleric criticized the protesters who chanted slogans against Khamenei.

During the unrest that spread across Iran in December and January, which was the deadliest since the 1979 Revolution, he supported the state establishment. He accused the rioters of serving Israel, participated in pro-government rallies, and compared some violent acts to the actions of the Islamic State.

In a message of condolence, Hassan stated that Khamenei would always remain a hero to the Iranian people and Muslims. He added, “The great people of Iran will overcome this incident and once again walk the path of Imam Khomeini.”

• Progressive Theologian

In 2015, speaking to Reuters, a close friend of Hassan described him as a progressive theologian, particularly concerning music, women's rights, and social freedoms. He follows social media trends and is interested in Western philosophy as much as Islamic thought.

His wife, Sayyeda Fatima, is the daughter of an Ayatollah, and they have four children. 

Some reformists urged him to run for president in 2012, but he declined.

Hassan supported the Rouhani government's negotiation of the 2015 nuclear deal. The agreement limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions, which was later abandoned by US President Donald Trump in 2018.

He has also spoken openly about the economic hardships faced by the Iranian people due to sanctions imposed over the nuclear program.

• Barred from Contesting Assembly of Experts Election

A decade ago, Hassan attempted to run for election to the Assembly of Experts, the body that selects the Supreme Leader.

He had received initial approval from Khamenei for his candidacy. Khamenei reportedly blessed him and cautioned him against doing anything that would tarnish his grandfather's name. However, the Guardian Council later disqualified him.

Although the reason given for his disqualification was his religious qualification—Hassan holds the religious rank of Hojatoleslam, one level below Ayatollah—it was widely seen as an attempt to block a potential challenge from the reformist camp.

In a 2008 interview, he claimed loyalty to his grandfather's legacy by stating that those who claim it must adhere to his order that the military should stay away from politics. This was viewed as a significant criticism of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), although he maintains close ties with this elite force tasked with defending the Islamic Revolution.

According to Jamaran, an Iranian news website dedicated to Hassan, during the 12-day air conflict between Israel and Iran last year, Hassan wrote a letter to Khamenei praising his leadership. He stated that Iranian missiles had become a nightmare for Israel and a source of satisfaction for the Iranian nation.

According to remarks published on Jamaran, Hassan described Israel as the evil Zionist regime and a cancer tumor supported by the West. He stated that the Muslim world must strengthen itself to confront Zionism.

According to his biography, he is fluent in Arabic and English. Until the age of 21, he was an excellent football player, but later, due to his grandfather's insistence, he went to the city of Qom to study Islamic theology.