Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ali Khamenei, has been named Iran’s new supreme leader, according to Iranian state media.
The 56-year-old cleric was announced as his father’s successor on Sunday following a vote by the Assembly of Experts, the group of senior clerics responsible for appointing the Islamic Republic’s highest authority.
His appointment comes just days after his father was reportedly killed in joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel last Saturday.
In recent years, Mojtaba Khamenei had increasingly been mentioned within Iranian political circles as a potential successor to his father, although he had never publicly addressed the possibility.
Before the official announcement, Hosseinali Eshkevari, a member of the Assembly of Experts, hinted that the leadership decision had already been finalised.
“The name of Khamenei will continue,” Eshkevari said in a video circulated by Iranian media.
“The vote has been cast and will be announced soon.”
Iran’s most powerful office
In Iran’s political system, the supreme leader holds ultimate authority over the state, sitting above the president and exercising final control over the military, judiciary and key national policies.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise has already sparked debate among observers who say the move could resemble a hereditary transfer of power similar to the monarchy that existed before the Iranian Revolution.
Opposition reaction
Meanwhile, exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi said on Friday that he had accepted the “call” to lead Iran in the future.
Pahlavi, the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, remains one of the most prominent critics of the Islamic Republic and a leading figure among Iranian opposition groups abroad.
The White House has not yet issued an official response to Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment.
However, earlier comments from Donald Trump suggested potential tensions ahead.
Trump had warned that Iran’s next supreme leader “is not going to last long” if the country does not secure America’s approval — a proposal that Tehran has firmly rejected.
In a statement confirming the decision, the Assembly of Experts said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen following a “decisive vote”.
The clerical body also called on Iranians particularly intellectuals and religious scholars to remain united and pledge support to the new supreme leader.
