Mojtaba Khamenei Named Iran’s Supreme Leader Following Father’s Death in US-Israel Strikes

Mojtaba Khamenei Named Iran’s Supreme Leader: Report

Iran International reported on Tuesday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been selected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader by the powerful Assembly of Experts.

Citing informed sources, the outlet said, “The Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba as the next Supreme Leader.” The 56-year-old cleric is reportedly set to assume control of the Islamic Republic, marking a dramatic and potentially controversial leadership transition.

Mojtaba, the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei, has long been viewed by observers as a possible successor. His reported elevation comes just days after his father was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes — an event that has triggered a wider armed conflict across the Middle East.

A father-to-son succession could prove politically sensitive. The Islamic Republic has consistently criticised hereditary rule and positioned itself as a system distinct from monarchy. Such a transition is likely to raise questions about that foundational principle.

Iran International further claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) exerted heavy pressure on the Assembly of Experts to back Mojtaba’s appointment. “The IRGC heavily pressured the assembled group of clerics to select Mojtaba as the regime’s new leader,” the report said.

The Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority within Iran’s Shiite theocratic system, with final say over state policy, the military, and the judiciary. The role also includes serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the powerful Revolutionary Guard, which was designated a terrorist organisation by the United States in 2019.

Under Ali Khamenei’s decades-long rule, the IRGC significantly expanded its influence across Iran’s political, military and economic sectors. Mojtaba is widely believed to have maintained close ties with the Guard and to have exercised considerable behind-the-scenes authority. Analysts have long described him as a key power broker who effectively managed the Office of the Supreme Leader in practice.

A mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba reportedly served in Iran’s armed forces during the Iran-Iraq war and has maintained strong connections within the country’s security establishment.