Iran Names Mojtaba Khamenei as New Supreme Leader Amid Ongoing Conflict

TEHRAN – Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, state media reported Sunday, following the Assembly of Experts' vote amid heightened security concerns.

Mojtaba, a 56-year-old hardline cleric and Hojjatoleslam, has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership, including Ahmad Vahidi, Hossein Taeb, and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He fought in the Iran-Iraq War and studied in Qom's seminaries but has never held a formal government position. Iranian officials, including Ayatollah Hosseinali Eshkevari, affirmed the selection, emphasizing continuity of the revolutionary path. The vote was conducted mostly online Thursday under IRGC pressure, delayed from an in-person Qom meeting due to fears of U.S.-Israeli strikes.

The late Khamenei reportedly opposed his son's appointment, fearing it resembled monarchy, and the choice reflects internal disagreements over religious legitimacy. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied immediate election claims earlier.

Israel's IDF warned it would target the successor and assembly participants, while President Trump called Mojtaba "unacceptable." The naming follows Khamenei's death in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, which also eliminated other leaders.

This development underscores Iran's efforts to stabilize amid succession chaos.

To date, the military action—entering its eleventh day—has involved over 2,000 strikes achieving air superiority, degrading nuclear and missile sites, sinking an Iranian warship, and eliminating key regime leaders, prompting Iranian retaliations including tanker attacks, drone strikes on the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, and missile barrages on Gulf allies, with six American service members killed. Reinforcements continue, with Trump projecting four to five weeks of targeted operations to secure U.S. and allied interests.