SRINAGAR: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been selected as the country’s next supreme leader by the powerful Assembly of Experts, according to multiple media outlets.
London-based broadcaster Iran International reported on Tuesday, citing informed sources, that the clerical body had elected Mojtaba Khamenei to assume Iran’s highest office. The report claimed that the decision followed deliberations by the 88-member Assembly of Experts, the constitutional body responsible for appointing and overseeing the supreme leader.
The development comes days after Ali Khamenei was killed in a wave of joint US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, an escalation that has since spiralled into a broader armed conflict in the Middle East.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the second-oldest son of Ali Khamenei and has long been viewed by some observers as a potential successor. Though he has never held elected office and does not occupy a formal government post, he is widely believed to wield considerable influence behind the scenes, particularly through his ties to the IRGC and his reported role in managing aspects of his father’s office.
The New York Times, quoting three Iranian officials familiar with internal discussions, described Mojtaba as the “clear front-runner” during Tuesday’s meeting of the Assembly of Experts, though it said a final public announcement was still under consideration.
Under Iran’s constitution, the supreme leader sits at the apex of the Islamic Republic’s power structure, with ultimate authority over state policy. The role includes serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and exercising oversight over key institutions, including the Revolutionary Guard. During Ali Khamenei’s three-decade rule, the Guard significantly expanded its influence across political, military and economic spheres.
Mojtaba is described as a mid-ranking cleric who served in Iran’s armed forces during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. Born in 1969 in Mashhad, he grew up during the years leading to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when his father was active in opposition to the Shah.
His reported elevation would be politically sensitive. The Islamic Republic has historically criticised hereditary rule and positioned itself as an alternative to monarchical governance. A father-to-son succession could therefore raise questions within Iran’s clerical establishment, where dynastic transfer of religious authority is not traditionally favoured.
In 2019, Mojtaba Khamenei was sanctioned by the United States, which alleged he acted on behalf of the supreme leader despite lacking an official title. A Bloomberg investigation previously reported that he has significant overseas assets, including property investments in Western markets.
He is married to Zahra Haddad-Adel, daughter of Iranian conservative politician Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, a former parliament speaker. Reports suggest the couple married in 2004 and have three children.
Analysts say that if confirmed, Mojtaba’s appointment could signal consolidation of power by hardline elements aligned with the Revolutionary Guard at a time of heightened external confrontation. Some clerics, according to reports cited by The New York Times, had expressed concern that moving swiftly to name him could make him a target amid ongoing hostilities.
If finalised, this would mark only the second time the Assembly of Experts has appointed a supreme leader since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
