Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly survived the strike on Iran and is seen by the establishment as the prospective next supreme leader, two Iranian sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
Mojtaba is seen by the establishment as a possible successor to his father, the sources said.
A mid-ranking cleric with close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards, hardliner Mojtaba is one of the most influential figures in the Iranian clerical establishment. He has for years been seen as one of the top candidates to succeed his father.
"He (Mojtaba) is alive ... he was not in Tehran when the Supreme Leader was killed," one of the sources said.
IDF strikes Assembly of Experts meeting set to choose new leader
On Tuesday afternoon, the Assembly of Experts building in Qom, where it was said a session had been convened to choose a new leader of the Islamic Republic following the killing of Ali Khamenei, was struck by fighter jets.
Images later shared on social media suggested the building had been completely destroyed, and it was reported that some people were killed or wounded there. Hours later, however, it was announced that the leadership-selection process had been completed.
Late on Tuesday night, Fars News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the Assembly of Experts building had been evacuated in advance due to the risk of an attack, and that the leadership selection was conducted virtually and had entered its final stages. According to Fars, the result would be announced "soon".
His father, slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was killed on Saturday after the United States and Israel attacked targets across Iran - one of a number of military and other influential figures killed.
Omid Habibinia/The Media Line contributed to this report.