02.03.2026 16:00
Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the war initiated by Israel and the USA against Iran, discussions about who will succeed him have resurfaced, along with his wife's words: "He never asked for water even once during our 60 years of marriage."
On February 28, Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war initiated by Israel and the USA against Iran. The words of Khamenei's wife, whose succession is being debated, have come back to the agenda.
"HE NEVER ASKED FOR WATER EVEN ONCE"
Khamenei's wife stated in an interview, "Throughout our 60 years of living together, he never asked for water even once." She added, "He would always bring it himself. If he were unable to bring it, he would say, 'Is there no water?' He would never say, 'Get up and bring me water.' This behavior was not only shown to his wife but also to us daughters. Whenever he asked for water, we would all run to get it with enthusiasm, but he would never ask us to bring him a glass of water."
MOURNING HAS BEEN DECLARED
Following Khamenei's death, it was announced that a 40-day national mourning and a 7-day public holiday were declared across the country, while the grieving Iranian people took to the streets. Regime supporters prayed for Khamenei, while regime opponents began celebrations.
WHO WILL SUCCEED HIM IS BEING WONDERED
On the other hand, with Khamenei's passing, all eyes are on who will succeed him. It is also among the questions of interest whether the name that will take Khamenei's place will pursue a policy in line with the US administration.
8 NAMES ARE EMERGING
Previously, it was stated that three senior clerics were identified as potential candidates for the religious leadership position in the event of Ayatollah Khamenei's death. While there is no clear statement about who these three individuals are, sources highlight the names of 8 individuals.
HIS SON AND GRANDSON ARE ALSO ON THE LIST
- The 8 names expected to succeed Khamenei are as follows:
- Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei (Head of the Judiciary)
- Ali Reza Arafi (Member of the Guardian Council)
- Sadegh Larijani (Former Head of the Judiciary and former Head of the Expediency Council)
- Hasan Khomeini (Grandson of Imam Khomeini)
- Hasan Rouhani (Former President)
- Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei: Son of Religious Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
- Ayatollah Hossein Bushehri
- Mohsin Araki