In a move that did not take observers by surprise, Mojtaba Khamenei has been named Iran’s new supreme leader
According to state media reports, Mojtaba replaces his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at his compound in Tehran in the first wave of US and Israeli strikes
A statement from the Assembly of Experts was read aloud by the presenter on state TV:
“Despite the acute wartime conditions and the direct threats of the enemies against this popular institution, and despite the bombing of the offices of the Secretariat of the Assembly of Experts, which resulted in the martyrdom of several staff members and members of its security team, did not pause even for a moment in the process of selecting and introducing the leadership of the Islamic system.”
The presenter then shouted “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Khamenei is the leader.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was regarded as exerting influence behind the scenes, and has been accused of having hands in presidential elections, commanding the Basij militia, and maintaining close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Despite reports and speculation about his considerable influence, he has not held any official position in the Islamic Republic.
Both his father Ali Khamenei and his predecessor, the founder of the Islamic Republic Ruhollah Khomeini, had criticised hereditary succession in the context of the Pahlavi monarchy, which was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In 2019, Mojtaba Khamenei was sanctioned by the United States as part of a group of individuals “who are appointees of or have acted for or on behalf of” Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Born on 8 September 1969 in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Mojtaba is the second of Ali Khamenei’s six children.
He received his secondary education at the religious Alavi School in Tehran.
At age 17, Mojtaba served in the military for several short periods during the Iran-Iraq War, according to Iranian media. The eight-year bloody conflict made the regime even more suspicious of the US and the West, which supported Iraq.
In 1999, Mojtaba went to Qom, a holy city which is considered an important centre of Shia theology, to continue his religious studies. It is notable that he did not wear clerical clothing until this time.
Unlike his father, Mojtaba has largely kept a low profile. He has never held any government office, nor has he given public speeches or interviews. Only a limited number of photos and videos of him have been published.
However, there are longstanding rumours about his influence as a gatekeeper to his father.
