Iran has a new supreme leader. Following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the first wave of US-Israel strikes on Iran, his son Mojtaba Khamenei has been voted in as his replacement. Here is everything you need to know about the man now holding the most powerful position in the Islamic Republic.
- He Is Iran's Third Supreme Leader, And the First Son to Succeed His Father: Mojtaba is only the third person to hold this title after Ayatollah Khomeini and his own father. This is the first time in Iran's history that the role has been passed from father to son.
- He Is 56 and Has Lived a Largely Secretive Life: Born on September 8, 1969, Mojtaba spent most of his life operating quietly behind the scenes. Despite being widely touted as a likely successor, very little was publicly known about him , by design.
- He Was His Father's Gatekeeper: Mojtaba never held formal government office, but served as deputy chief of staff for political and security affairs in his father's office. He was described as the man you had to go through to reach the Ayatollah.
- He Is a Hardliner With Deep IRGC Ties: He studied at religious seminaries in Qom under conservative scholars and served in the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War. His close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps make him a deeply ideological figure.
- The US Sanctioned Him in 2019: Washington sanctioned Mojtaba for working closely with the IRGC and the Basij Resistance Force to advance what it described as his father's destabilising regional agenda and repressive domestic policies.
- He Built a Shadow Empire of Power and Wealth: Within his father's office, Mojtaba quietly built two centres of influence, an intelligence network spanning 17 agencies and a propaganda machine including state media. A Bloomberg investigation also revealed he allegedly amassed a vast real estate empire in Europe through hidden investments.
- His Religious Credentials Are Being Questioned: Iran's constitution requires the supreme leader to hold deep Islamic jurisprudence knowledge. Mojtaba does not hold the rank of Ayatollah, raising questions about his religious authority, though Iran's system has bent these rules before.
Mojtaba Khamenei steps into one of the most consequential roles in the Middle East at arguably the worst possible moment, with US and Israeli strikes ongoing, the economy in tatters, and Iran's regional influence at a low point. Whether he leads Iran toward confrontation or recalibration, the world will be watching closely.
