Iranian media report that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a leading contender to be Iran's next Supreme Leader, is still alive, despite earlier reports claiming he died in a US-Iran attack.
On 3 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and widely predicted by analysts to be a leading successor candidate, "is still alive."
"Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader's son, is in good health," Mehr News stated. They added that Mojtaba is reviewing "key issues" concerning the country, without providing further details.
Mojtaba, believed to be the second son of Ali Khamenei, is said to wield significant influence behind the Iranian government. He has close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's most powerful military force, and the Basij, a paramilitary volunteer militia network.
However, any move toward succession from father to son faces political and religious sensitivities within Iran, as dynastic power transfer is not accepted in Shia Islamic tradition.
Practical obstacles also exist, as Mojtaba is not recognized as a senior cleric, holds no official government position, and was sanctioned by the United States in 2019.
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Source:cnn