Speculation about the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has been ongoing for years. Alireza Marandi, the head of Khamenei’s medical team, recently spoke out about his good health on a TV talk show. According to Marandi, Khamenei’s active schedule despite being 84 is due to “divine grace.”
However, some experts have warned that an appointment of a successor to Khamenei could trigger instability within the regime. Reports of Khamenei’s health issues have surfaced in the past, including an emergency surgery for bowel obstruction in 2022 and subsequent public appearances aimed at dispelling rumors of his death. In 2014, he underwent a successful prostate cancer operation which also raised concerns about what would come next.
Despite these reports and ongoing speculation about his health, Khamenei remains Iran’s supreme leader and has been in this position since 1989. His continued leadership has sparked questions about potential successors, with several names floated over the years. However, discussions about succession remain taboo in Iranian political discourse.
