The New York Times: Khamenei has identified three candidates to succeed him if he is assassinated

ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, who has held power since 1989, has officially named three high-ranking clerics who will take his place if he is assassinated. The New York Times reports this, citing three Iranian officials close to the supreme leader's plans.

With the country now at war, the ayatollah wants to "ensure a quick, orderly transition and preserve his legacy," the article notes.

The identities of the three clerics who are to replace him in the event of liquidation have not been disclosed.

Thus, according to sources, Khamenei, fearing an assassination attempt, has minimised electronic communication and communicates with the military through trusted intermediaries in an effort to complicate any attempt to locate him.

Tensions are rising on the international stage, with The Wall Street Journal earlier reporting that former US president Donald Trump had approved a plan to strike Iran but delayed its execution, giving Tehran "two weeks" to comply with the terms of the nuclear agreement. In response, Khamenei warned of "irreparable consequences" for the US.

In early June, Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, attacking nuclear, military and energy facilities. Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes on targets in Israel - mutual strikes continue to this day.

For his part, Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog said that Israel was not aiming to remove Ali Khamenei, but that such a development would ultimately allegedly "benefit the Iranian people."