Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Iran’s new supreme leader
Iran’s religious council has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader of Iran, following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei. Iranian state media announced the decision on Sunday evening. According to Ayatollah Hosseinali Eshkevari, the appointment will perpetuate the Khamenei name at the head of the country.
The 88 clerics of the Assembly of Experts selected a successor after Ali Khamenei was killed on 28 February at the age of 86 in a US-Israeli airstrike. Rumours about Mojtaba Khamenei’s possible succession had already circulated, although some reports suggested he preferred to dedicate himself to science and theology.
According to Iranian state media, the Assembly of Experts ultimately chose Khamenei’s son “after careful and extensive deliberations”.
Stepping into his father's shoes
The 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei is the second-eldest of Ali Khamenei’s six children. He served during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s and is the only one of his siblings to have held public office prior to succeeding his father.
Before his appointment as supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei is also said to have led the Basij, a paramilitary volunteer force accused of playing a role in the violent suppression of protests in Iran in January. Due to his close ties with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he is widely regarded as a confidant of the country’s conservative ruling establishment.
The position of supreme leader carries the final authority over Iran’s political and military decisions. Ali Khamenei held the role for more than three decades, and observers believe his son had already exerted significant influence behind the scenes in recent years.
© PHOTO ROUZBEH FOULADI / MIDDLE EAST IMAGES / ABACAPRESS.COM
Reactions and other possible candidates
Mohsen Heydari, a representative in the Assembly of Experts, previously told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) that “the most suitable candidate” had been approved by a majority.
Israel has already indicated that it will also take the new leader into account in its calculations, while Donald Trump has suggested he would not accept Khamenei’s son as Iran’s new leader.
Before the decision was announced, another name widely mentioned as a potential successor was Hassan Khomeini, the 53-year-old grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the first supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.
Iran War Updates
Iranian drone strike in Bahrain: An Iranian drone attack on the island of Sitra in Bahrain injured 32 civilians on Monday morning, with four people in serious condition, according to the interior ministry. Several buildings were damaged.
Fire at Bahrain oil refinery: A fire broke out at the Ma’ameer oil refinery in Bahrain on Monday following an Iranian attack, causing property damage but no casualties, authorities said. State oil company Bapco has invoked force majeure after the strike.
New Israeli strikes on Beirut: Israel carried out fresh strikes on the suburbs of Beirut, targeting infrastructure linked to Hezbollah, the Israeli army said. Hezbollah reported that Israeli troops also landed by helicopter in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa region, where fighting is ongoing.
First casualties in Saudi Arabia: Overnight, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted four drones targeting the Shaybah oil field, while a projectile attack south of Riyadh on Sunday killed two people and injured 12. The United States has ordered non-essential personnel to leave the kingdom.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei © PHOTO HAMENEI.IR / AFP
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