Mojtaba Khamenei: Iran’s new supreme leader

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has been appointed as the new leader of the Iran, becoming the third supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.

The 56-year-old cleric is known as a discreet and influential figure who is expected to maintain the hardline political direction established by his father. Although he held no official government position during Ali Khamenei’s rule, he was widely believed to have exercised significant influence behind the scenes within Iran’s political system.

Mojtaba Khamenei is considered close to conservative factions in Iran, particularly due to his strong ties with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which quickly pledged allegiance to him following his appointment.

Within hours of the announcement, several key institutions in Iran expressed their support for the new leader, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, the armed forces and the judiciary.

His selection was made by the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s top clerical body responsible for choosing the supreme leader. The decision was announced in a statement released shortly after midnight following an extraordinary meeting of the council.

The appointment has drawn attention because it represents a hereditary-style succession, something that the Islamic Republic had long rejected after the 1979 revolution that ended Iran’s royal dynasty.

Born on September 8, 1969, in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Mojtaba Khamenei is the only one of Ali Khamenei’s six children to hold a public role within the country’s leadership.

His rise to power follows the death of Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the age of 86 during the first wave of U.S.–Israeli air strikes on Tehran on February 28, an event that triggered the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Mojtaba Khamenei now assumes leadership of Iran at a time of heightened regional tensions and war, with the country facing both internal political pressures and international confrontation.