Mojtaba Khamenei has been appointed as the new Supreme Leader of Iran following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed during joint strikes by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Iranian media reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was selected by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of senior clerics constitutionally empowered to appoint the country’s Supreme Leader.
The Assembly has only carried out such a selection once since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, when Ali Khamenei was chosen to succeed Ruhollah Khomeini after his death more than three decades ago.
Mojtaba, 56, is the second son of the late leader and is widely believed to have wielded considerable influence behind the scenes in Iran’s political and security structure. He is known to maintain close ties with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its volunteer paramilitary wing, the Basij.
Despite his influence, Mojtaba Khamenei is not a high-ranking cleric and has not held an official government position. He was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 over allegations of collaborating with senior IRGC figures to advance what Washington described as his father’s regional and domestic policies.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that he should be “involved in the appointment” of Iran’s next leader, describing the possible emergence of Khamenei’s son as “unacceptable.”
Israeli sources also claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei was targeted in a recent strike but is believed to have survived with injuries.
The conflict, which began with strikes on February 28, has since escalated into continued military exchanges between Iran and its adversaries, raising fears of wider regional instability and mounting casualties.
