Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, just over a week after the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, in joint strikes by the United States and Israel that have pushed the region into a widening war.
The 56-year-old cleric was named successor on Sunday by senior religious leaders, placing him at the helm of the Islamic Republic during what is widely viewed as the most severe crisis in its 47-year history.
Iran’s key institutions, including the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the country’s armed forces, swiftly pledged their support to the new leader.
Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who has been tasked with directing Iran’s security strategy since the US-Israeli offensive began, called for unity behind the newly appointed supreme leader.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also endorsed the decision, saying following the new supreme leader was a “religious and national duty”.
Although Mojtaba Khamenei has never run for public office or faced a nationwide vote, he has long been considered an influential figure within the supreme leader’s inner circle and has developed strong ties with the IRGC over several decades.
In recent years, he had increasingly been seen as a leading contender to succeed his father. Analysts say his selection may signal that hardline factions remain firmly in control of Iran’s political establishment, potentially reducing the chances of negotiations or compromise as the war enters its second week.
Ali Hashem of Al Jazeera described Mojtaba Khamenei as his “father’s gatekeeper”.
“He adopts the positions of his father with respect to the United States, with respect to Israel. So we are expecting a confrontational leader. We’re not expecting any moderation,” he said.
“However, if this war comes to an end and he is still alive, and he is able to continue running the country, there is going to be big potential… to find new routes for Iran,” Hashem added.
Rami Khouri, a distinguished public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut, said the appointment suggests continuity within Iran’s leadership. He added that it remains uncertain whether the new supreme leader will seek negotiations to bring the war to an end.
Either way, Khouri described the move as “an act of defiance”. Iran is “telling the Americans and Israelis, ‘You wanted to get rid of our system? Well … this is a more radical person than his father who was assassinated,’” he said.
Heidari Alekasir, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts responsible for selecting the supreme leader, said the candidate was chosen based on advice from the late Ali Khamenei that the country’s leader should “be hated by the enemy” rather than praised by it.
“Even the Great Satan [US] has mentioned his name,” the senior cleric said, referring to comments from US President Donald Trump that Mojtaba Khamenei would be an “unacceptable” choice to lead Iran.
Israel’s military had previously warned any successor that “we will not hesitate to target you”.
On Sunday, Trump again said Washington would seek to influence the selection of Iran’s next supreme leader, stating that without US approval, whoever is chosen for the role is “not going to last long”.
The appointment of Khamenei’s son is widely expected to further anger Trump.
Supreme Leader Not Decided By ‘Epstein’s Gang’
Iran’s 88-member Assembly of Experts said it “did not hesitate for a minute” in selecting a new supreme leader despite what it called “the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime”.
Earlier, the clerical body had indicated it had reached a majority consensus without revealing the name, with one member declaring: “The path of Imam Khomeini and the path of the martyr Imam Khamenei has been chosen. The name of Khamenei will continue.”
Mojtaba Khamenei studied under conservative clerics in the seminaries of Qom, the centre of Shia theological scholarship, and holds the clerical rank of hojjatoleslam, a mid-level religious title.
His father, Ali Khamenei, ruled Iran for 37 years after succeeding Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Revolution. He was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28 at the start of the current war, which has since spread instability across the Middle East.
Israel’s military has warned that any successor could also become a target, while Trump has said the war may only end once Iran’s military leadership is eliminated.
“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” he said on Sunday.
Iranian officials rejected the suggestion that Washington could influence the decision, insisting that only Iranians have the right to determine their country’s leadership.
On Friday, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the US president’s remarks.
“The fate of dear Iran, which is more precious than life, will be determined solely by the proud Iranian nation, not by [Jeffrey] Epstein’s gang,” Ghalibaf wrote on X, referring to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Dark Skies Over Tehran
As clerics finalised the leadership transition, a dark haze hung over Tehran after Israeli strikes overnight targeted five oil facilities in and around the capital, setting them ablaze and filling the sky with thick smoke.
With the war entering its ninth day, the IRGC said it had enough supplies to continue drone and missile attacks across the region for up to six months.
IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran had so far used only first- and second-generation missiles but would soon deploy “advanced and less-used long-range missiles”.
Trump again declined to rule out sending American ground troops into Iran, although he maintained that the war was close to being won despite ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes.
Analysts warn there is still no clear path to ending the conflict, which US and Israeli officials say could continue for a month or longer.
