Iranian hardline clerics seek swift naming of new supreme leader

Hardline clerics have called for the swift selection of a new supreme leader to help guide Iran, Iranian media reported on Saturday, as the Islamic Republic reels under a new wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The calls suggest some in the clerical establishment may be uncomfortable leaving power in the hands of the three-man council put in charge temporarily after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had the final say in all matters of state.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. should have a role in choosing the new leader, a demand Iran has rejected.

Iranian media late on Saturday cited Ayatollah Hossein Mozafari, one of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, the clerical body charged with choosing the next leader, as saying the assembly could meet in the next 24 hours to make a decision.

It was not clear if that would involve an in-person gathering. Sources said some clerics had previously held consultations online.

Mozafari's statement followed earlier comments from hardline clerics demanding a quick decision.

Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, whose title means he commands a broad following for his religious rulings, said an appointment was needed swiftly to "help better organise the country’s affairs", state media reported.

Last week, two senior Shi'ite religious authorities also issued fatwas, or religious decrees, calling on Muslims around the world to avenge the killing of Khamenei. Makarem Shirazi said it was a religious duty for Muslims "until the evil of these criminals is eradicated from the world".

Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani also urged members of the Assembly of Experts to accelerate the process of picking Khamenei's successor, state media reported.

Following rules laid out in Iran's constitution, a three-man council comprising the president, a senior cleric and the head of the judiciary has taken on the supreme leader's role until the assembly decides.

The constitution states a supreme leader should be chosen within three months.