PANews reported on March 4th, citing the New York Times, that three Iranian officials familiar with the discussions revealed that Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, has become the leading candidate to succeed him as Iran's Supreme Leader. The officials stated that the Iranian Council of Experts is considering announcing Mojtaba as successor on Wednesday morning, but some have expressed reservations, fearing that such a move could make him a target for attacks by the United States and Israel.