Mojtaba Khamenei Chosen as Iran’s Next Supreme Leader: Report
There has been no independent confirmation from official Iranian state media regarding the development
Tehran: Israeli media have reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as his father’s successor and will take over as Iran’s Supreme Leader. Senior Israeli officials told Ynet News that the Assembly of Experts is expected to formally announce Mojtaba Khamenei as successor in the coming hours.
However, there has been no independent confirmation from official Iranian state media regarding the development.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that 56-year-old Mojtaba had emerged as the leading candidate for the position. Mojtaba Khamenei is the second eldest son of Ali Khamenei. According to the report, Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected him as the new head of state, allegedly under intense pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Mojtaba is said to have played a major role in running his late father’s office and maintains close ties with senior figures in the IRGC and the Quds Force. Israeli media have described him as holding a more hard-line stance than his father and alleged that he was involved in the violent crackdowns on protesters in Iran.
In November 2019, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba. He was designated for representing the then Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a formal government position.
The US Treasury had stated that the Supreme Leader delegated parts of his leadership responsibilities to Mojtaba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the IRGC-Qods Force and the Basij Resistance Force to advance regional and domestic objectives. Reports have also alleged that Mojtaba has access to luxury properties in London and financial accounts in the UK, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Meanwhile, US Central Command Chief Admiral Brad Cooper warned that the United States would not halt its intensive strike operations against Iran and would achieve its objectives.
“Our military objectives are crystal clear, and our people are executing an immensely complex and historic mission with relentless lethality, conviction, and professionalism. And we've just begun. But I have the utmost confidence that we, alongside our partners, will absolutely achieve our military objectives,” he said.
The conflict in the Middle East has entered its fourth day following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other key figures in the country. In retaliation, Tehran has launched counter-strikes targeting American military bases and Israeli assets across the region.