Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, 85, is believed to be seriously ill, The New York Times reported.
According to the report, there are internal concerns in Iran that 55-year-old Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, Khamenei's second son, may be appointed his successor.
Born in 1969, Mojtaba is one of four sons, and over the years, he has gained significant influence.
Mojtaba is considered to be among the most conservative figures in the Iranian regime, and is seen as his father's successor with regards to everything connected to the West and Israel. It is believed that he may run for leadership after his father's death, though there are other sources in the regime which may oppose him.
Meanwhile, Iran faces an internal decision over whether to attack Israel for its Friday night strike, which retaliated for Iran's October 1 missile barrage on Israel.
Though the Iranian economy is suffering and domestic dissent is growing, making a long war increasingly unattractive, the regime may not wish to risk looking weak to its allies, the Times noted. Tehran has thus far restated its right to defend itself, but has not explicitly promised major retaliation.