Iran Names Khamenei’s Son as New Supreme Leader

The Islamic Republic of Iran has chosen its new supreme leader.

Khamenei’s father was killed in the initial wave of American and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend. (Photo: Mahmood Hosseini, Tasmin News Agency) 

Iran International, a Persian-language outlet based in London, reported that Mojtaba Khamenei—the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—was selected for the role by the regime’s Assembly of Experts “under pressure from” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday, Isaac Schorr reported for Mediaite.

Khamenei’s father was killed in the initial wave of American and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend.

He had ruled the country since 1989, gaining a reputation as one of the world’s most authoritarian leaders while presiding over a government widely accused of supporting militant groups abroad.

CNN previously reported that the younger Khamenei “is known to wield significant influence behind the scenes and has strong links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s most powerful military body, as well as its Basij volunteer paramilitary force.”

Karim Sadjadpour, a contributing writer to The Atlantic, described Mojtaba as a “prominent contender” to succeed his father but warned that hereditary succession would contradict one of the founding principles of Iran’s revolution.

“Mojtaba has never held elected office, has virtually no public profile, and is known chiefly for his behind-the-scenes ties to the Revolutionary Guards,” Sadjadpour wrote in Foreign Affairs.

“His image evokes continuity with his father’s generation, not the dynamism of a new era.”

He added that attempts by supporters to compare him to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—including social media campaigns using the hashtag #MojtabaBinSalman—suggest that even Khamenei’s revolutionary base recognizes that a forward-looking vision is more appealing than a backward-looking one.