Photo: EPA.
According to a government announcement, Iran's Assembly of Experts has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader of the country. This statement was made on the night of Monday, March 9, as reported by DW.
Information that the Assembly of Experts had already made a decision regarding the new Supreme Leader emerged in the media on March 8. The information was provided by several members of the assembly, but the name of the successor was not disclosed until that moment. It is worth noting that this occurred just a week after the assassination of Ali Khamenei in an operation carried out by the United States and Israel.
Sources who wished to remain anonymous reported that 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader on March 3.
On the same day, March 8, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on their microblog X that they would pursue anyone who takes Ali Khamenei's place.
U.S. President Donald Trump also commented on this, noting that the new Supreme Leader of Iran would not be able to hold power for long if Tehran does not receive approval from the White House. "We want to avoid having to deal with this issue every ten years," Trump stated, as reported by ABC News.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei
According to the Russian service of the BBC, Mojtaba, born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad, is the second of six children of Ali Khamenei. He received his education at the Alavi religious school in Tehran.At 17, he served several short stints in the military during the Iran-Iraq war, and in 1999 he went to Qom — the center of Shia theology — to continue his religious education.
Currently, Mojtaba is a mid-ranking cleric, which may pose an obstacle to his appointment as Supreme Leader. However, in recent days, Iranian media close to the authorities have begun referring to him as "Ayatollah," which is a high spiritual title.
Receiving the title of "Ayatollah" and teaching at advanced levels is considered an important criterion for selecting a future leader.
It is worth noting that a similar situation occurred before: Ali Khamenei also received the title of "Ayatollah" shortly after his appointment as Supreme Leader in 1989.
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On February 28, Israeli and American forces struck Iran, after which Donald Trump announced plans to destroy the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.In response, Iran began striking territories in Israel and other Middle Eastern countries where American military bases are located. The strikes were directed at Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai (UAE), as well as Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
As a result of the American-Israeli attack, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed, and his wife, Mansoureh Khodjasteh, died from her injuries.
Donald Trump also stated that the military operation in Iran would last about four weeks. In response, a jihad against the U.S. and Israel was declared in Iran, and the authorities emphasized that there would be no negotiations.
The situation in the Middle East has implications for the entire world, including Kyrgyzstan. Thousands of Kyrgyz citizens are stranded in the UAE due to the conflict. Contact information for embassies and consulates for Kyrgyz citizens abroad can be found here.
