Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader following his father’s death during the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel.
Gatekeepers News reports that the announcement was made by Iranian state media after the country’s Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting the supreme leader, chose the 56-year-old cleric to take over Iran’s highest political and religious office.
Mojtaba Khamenei had long been seen as a powerful figure behind the scenes in Iranian politics, maintaining close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and influential conservative factions in the country.
Although he had never held an elected political office, he reportedly wielded significant influence within the Iranian establishment and was widely considered a possible successor to his father.
His appointment marks a controversial moment in Iran’s history, as critics argue that the succession resembles a hereditary transfer of power, something the 1979 Islamic Revolution originally opposed.
Following the announcement, Iran’s political and military leaders reportedly pledged allegiance to Mojtaba.
