Iran International reported on Tuesday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been selected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader by the country’s Assembly of Experts.
"The Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba as the next Supreme Leader," Iran International reported, citing informed sources.
According to the outlet, Mojtaba, 56, has been chosen to assume control of the country. He is the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei and has long been seen by observers as a potential successor.
His reported elevation could prove politically sensitive and comes just days after his father was killed in a wave of joint US-Israeli strikes, which have since triggered an all-out armed conflict in the Middle East.
The Islamic Republic has long criticised hereditary rule and portrayed itself as a more just alternative to monarchy. A father-to-son transition would raise questions about that principle.
Iran International further claimed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) heavily pressured the body of clerics to back Mojtaba.
"The IRGC heavily pressured the assembled group of clerics to select Mojtaba as the regime’s new leader," the outlet reported.
The Supreme Leader sits at the heart of Iran’s complex power-sharing Shiite theocracy and has the final say over all matters of state.
The role also includes serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the powerful Revolutionary Guard — a paramilitary force designated a terrorist organisation by the United States in 2019. During Ali Khamenei’s rule, the Guard expanded its influence across Iran’s political, military and economic spheres.
The report said Mojtaba has close links with the Revolutionary Guard and is believed to wield significant behind-the-scenes influence. He reportedly managed the Office of the Supreme Leader in practice and has been considered by many analysts as a key power broker within the system.
Mojtaba is described as a mid-ranking cleric who served in Iran’s armed forces during the Iran-Iraq war. He has long been viewed as maintaining strong ties with the IRGC.