Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, has been approved as the new Supreme Leader of Iran by the decision of the Assembly of Experts. Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had spoken about the need for participation in the selection of Iran's spiritual leader.
In a statement broadcast on state television, it was noted that the meeting took place under conditions of military situation and threats. Council members stated that even after the bombing of the secretariat office, which resulted in the deaths of several employees, the process of selecting a new leader was not interrupted for a moment.
“The Assembly of Experts, highly valuing the status of the Supreme Leader in the era of the Holy Master’s secrecy and the importance of leadership in the Islamic Republic, honors 47 years of wise governance based on the principles of dignity, independence, and the power of the leaders of the revolution. Considering divine and popular traditions, after thorough study and utilizing the provisions of Article 108 of the Constitution, in accordance with our religious duty, we unanimously elected Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement said.
Against the backdrop of political changes in Iran, the positions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have strengthened. Immediately after the announcement of the new leader, the IRGC confirmed its full loyalty.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is ready to fully obey the instructions of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei,” said IRGC representatives.
Mojtaba Khamenei is one of the most enigmatic figures in Iranian politics.
He was born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad and is the second of six children of Ali Khamenei. His wife is Zahra Haddad, the daughter of influential politician Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, who previously served as the Speaker of Parliament.
Mojtaba grew up during the early days of the Islamic Revolution. At the age of 17, he served briefly during the Iran-Iraq War and, according to some sources, had connections with the volunteer forces known as Basij.
Unlike his father, Mojtaba rarely appears in public. He has never held official government positions, given interviews, or spoken at public events. Only a few photographs and videos featuring him are available in the public domain.
After finishing school, he continued his studies in Qom – a well-known center of Shia theology, entering the seminary relatively late, around the age of 30.
Today, he is considered a mid-ranking cleric, which raises debates in religious circles in Iran regarding his appointment to the highest position.
The name Mojtaba Khamenei became widely known during the 2005 presidential elections when the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won.
The reformist candidate Mehdi Karroubi accused him of interfering in the elections with the help of the IRGC and Basij, claiming that religious organizations were receiving funds to support Ahmadinejad.
In documents from American diplomacy published by WikiLeaks, Mojtaba was characterized as an influential figure in Iranian power – a kind of “power behind the robes.” In 2019, the U.S. Department of the Treasury included him on the sanctions list.
Meanwhile...
The leader of the Shia in Iraq, Ayatollah Sistani, issued a fatwa on the necessity of collective jihad to protect the Islamic Revolution of Iran, as reported by the IRGC.
“The Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani, one of the highest Shia religious authorities in Iraq, emphasized the necessity of collective jihad to protect the Islamic Revolution of Iran in response to a religious request from one of his followers.”
The record of the Assembly of Experts of Iran appointing Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba as the new Supreme Leader of the country first appeared on the K-News website.
