Mojtaba Khamenei Named Iran's Supreme Leader
Mojtaba Khamenei succeeds his father after Feb. 28 strikes and will command the IRGC as U.S.-Israel attacks and regional exchanges escalate.
TIME MagazineIran's New Supreme Leader Has Wielded Influence For Years
Al JazeeraIran names Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as supreme leader
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Daily BeastIran Defies Trump With Appointment of New Supreme Leader
Overview
Iran's Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader, Iranian state media and the assembly said.
The appointment follows the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in strikes on Feb. 28 that ignited the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, reports said.
The Israel Defense Forces warned it would pursue and target anyone involved in choosing a successor, the IDF said in a Farsi post on X.
Officials said the war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, 397 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, and U.S. Central Command reported eight U.S. service members have been killed.
State TV and reports said Mojtaba Khamenei will serve as commander-in-chief with control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which will make him responsible for Iran's military and regional forces.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the succession as delegitimized and dangerous by prioritizing U.S. and Israeli voices and critical experts, using evaluative language (e.g., "lightweight," "iron grip") and a threat-focused structure. Many pointed assertions appear as source content—quoted remarks from Trump, Israeli officials, and analysts—but editorial selection and placement amplify a crisis-and-target narrative.
FAQ
Mojtaba Khamenei is the 56-year-old son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a cleric educated in Qom seminaries, with strong ties to the Revolutionary Guard, and previously a shadowy power broker in Iran's political establishment.
Iran's 88-member Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader following his father's death in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026, with Iranian state TV announcing the decision based on strong votes.
The Supreme Leader serves as commander-in-chief of Iran's military and the Revolutionary Guard, and controls the stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The selection follows an Israeli airstrike killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 amid war, with at least 1,230 killed in Iran, 397 in Lebanon, 11 in Israel, and 7-8 U.S. service members; Israel has warned it will target those involved in the succession.
The Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah expressed support, while Israel vowed to pursue and target those involved in the successor process.
