Mojtaba Khamenei named new Supreme Leader of Iran
The appointment was made by the Assembly of Experts, the powerful clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for choosing the country’s highest political and religious authority.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been selected as the new Supreme Leader of Iran, according to multiple media reports citing sources familiar with the decision.
The appointment was made by the Assembly of Experts, the powerful clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for choosing the country’s highest political and religious authority.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s reported selection comes after his father, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, was killed in a joint U.S.–Israeli strike late last month, according to international reports.
The 56-year-old cleric has long been considered a potential successor and is believed to have strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military force within Iran. Observers say these connections may have played a role in his rise during the current political crisis.
Iran had been temporarily governed by an interim leadership council that included cleric Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chief Justice Gholam‑Hossein Mohseni‑Ejei, while the Assembly of Experts deliberated over a permanent successor.
If confirmed publicly, Mojtaba Khamenei would become only the third Supreme Leader since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979, following Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his father.
However, some Iranian officials have said the selection process is still ongoing and that no final announcement has been officially made, highlighting uncertainty surrounding the leadership transition.
The leadership change comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region and political uncertainty inside Iran as the country navigates the aftermath of the recent conflict.
