Intense rumors have developed in recent hours surrounding the health of Iran’s supreme religious leader, Ali Khamenei, with international media linking this development to Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s second message a few days ago, again addressed to the people of Iran.

Tehran secretly chose on September 26, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, as the next leader of the country.

Iran International, in a report, states that Mojtaba may take on the role even before the death of his 85-year-old father, who is reported to be suffering from a serious illness.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is reportedly very ill, with his second eldest son, Mojtaba Khamenei, possibly set to succeed him upon his death, as also reported by the New York Times.

The report states that Khamenei’s severe medical condition has created a “silent battle” over his succession, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will have a say in who becomes the successor to the Ayatollah.

There are also reports from Russian media claiming that Ali Khamenei is in a coma, and according to sources, Tehran may be playing its last card with the elected U.S. President Donald Trump. The rumors about the Ayatollah’s health condition might be a smokescreen to promote his unblemished son.

Concerns about Khamenei’s successor increased after the death of former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last May.

Khamenei has served as Supreme Leader since 1989, when Ruhollah Khomeini, the first to hold the title, passed away.

Netanyahu’s Message to the People of Iran

A few days ago, in a video lasting almost four minutes, Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that if Tehran attempts to strike Israel again, the retaliation will be the disintegration of the country. The Israeli Prime Minister used a series of arguments to convince the people of Iran to resist the “regime that oppresses them,” as he noted more than five times.

Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that just for the last ballistic missile attack on Israel, the Iranian regime spent 2.3 billion dollars, which, as he pointed out, could have “immediately improved the lives of the citizens.” Netanyahu said that both he and the West are increasingly hearing “the whisper of the Iranian people growing louder” and are waiting for it to become a cry that will end the “regime that oppresses ordinary citizens.”

The Israeli Prime Minister also emphasized that “the only thing that Khamenei fears today more than Israel is you” and pledged that if the regime is defeated, “Israelis and Iranians” will rebuild a new country together.