Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, becomes Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Iranian Assembly of Experts decides

Tehran. Amidst the war and tensions in West Asia, significant news is emerging from Iran. The Assembly of Experts in Tehran elected 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader. Mojtaba is the eldest son of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Following Ali Khamenei’s death in recent US and Israeli attacks, speculation regarding a new leader in Iran has been rife. Mojtaba is believed to have been elected with the support of the Revolutionary Guards, although he is not a high-ranking religious leader.

Media reports claim that Mojtaba’s election was under pressure from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, his election as the new Supreme Leader raises some questions, as Iran’s Islamic Republic has often criticized hereditary rule and presents itself as a non-partisan system. It is reported that last year, Ali Khamenei did not include Mojtaba’s name in his list of successors. On the other hand, the transfer of power from father to son is not generally accepted within Iran’s Shia religious leadership.

Know who Mojtaba is?
Mojtaba, the eldest son of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is not a high-ranking religious leader. He has never held a government post or a formal position in the government. Nevertheless, he is believed to have a profound influence on the country’s politics. Mojtaba has particularly close ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also served in the Iranian army in the Iran-Iraq War. Mojtaba Khamenei was among the family members who survived the war, while several others, including his wife, daughter, grandson, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law, died.

Mojtaba was once sanctioned
The United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba in 2019. US officials stated that Mojtaba served in his father’s office without being elected or appointed to a government position and officially represented the former Supreme Leader. Mojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad. He grew up during the time when his father led the opposition to the Shah.

It is noteworthy that Mojtaba became Iran’s Supreme Leader after the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli attack. Iran’s retaliatory attacks on US bases in Israel and the Gulf countries have since escalated tensions across West Asia.