Khamenei Dead?

The word 'round the blogosphere is that the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, the madness behind the top shelf crazy that is the Islamic Republic of Iran, is either in a coma or has kicked the bucket. The sources are scarce on the ground, but the Anti-Mullah (saying that he is dead) has some excellent sources deep in Iran so this one could be the real thing.

This creates a little issue, aside from the obvious implications. The Supreme Leader is elected by a group of high level clerics called the Assembly of Experts. Right now, the Assembly is led by a gentleman named Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is a former President and political wild card.  During the unrest this summer, Rasfanjani  played coy for a little while even though he had supported the opposition. As the protests gained stream, he threw in with Mousavi in a big way, calling for new elections and speaking out publicly at Friday Prayers a popular location for political posturing by the clerics. He has not spoken at Friday Prayers since then but still maintains his position on the AoE. It is certain that Khamenei would likely have replaced him on this body, but if this report is true, a man who has opposed Khamenei now holds the power of succession in his hands.