Tehran — Mojtaba Khamenei has been selected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed last week in a joint U.S.–Israeli military strike on Tehran. The announcement was made on Sunday (March 8) by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for appointing the country’s highest religious authority.
The 56-year-old cleric assumes leadership at a time when the Islamic Republic faces one of its most severe crises in nearly five decades. The recent U.S.–Israeli military actions against Iran have heightened tensions across the Middle East and raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
Following the announcement, Iran’s top leadership, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the country’s armed forces pledged loyalty and support to the new Supreme Leader.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the official overseeing the country’s security strategy during the ongoing conflict, called for national unity around the new leader. Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf welcomed the decision, stating that loyalty to the new Supreme Leader is both a “religious and national duty.”
According to Al Jazeera, Mojtaba Khamenei has rarely appeared in public and has largely remained behind the scenes throughout his career. He has never held a formal government position and has delivered few public speeches or interviews. Only a limited number of photographs and videos of him have been released.
However, analysts say Mojtaba has long been considered one of the most influential figures close to the former Supreme Leader. Over the years, he has reportedly built strong ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and played a significant role in internal political networks.
In recent years, Mojtaba had emerged as a leading candidate to succeed his father. His appointment is widely viewed as a sign that Iran’s conservative hardline factions remain firmly in control of the country’s political and religious establishment.
