MOSCOW, March 4 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the United States (US) and Israeli airstrikes last week, is the leading candidate to be the next supreme leader, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported, citing a report by The New York Times newspaper that cited Iranian officials.
Top religious figures responsible for choosing Iran's next supreme leader met on Tuesday for discussions, and the son of the slain former leader has emerged as the clear frontrunner, the report said on Tuesday.
The possibility of declaring Mojtaba Khamenei as his father's successor was being considered as early as Wednesday morning, but concerns arose that this could make him a target for the US and Israel, the report noted.
On February 28, the US and Israel carried out a series of strikes on targets inside Iran, including in Tehran, with reports of destruction and civilian casualties. Iranian state television confirmed the death of its supreme leader. Iran responded with missile strikes on Israeli territory and on US military facilities in the Middle East.
-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI
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