Iranian state media announced on Monday morning that Mojtaba Khamenei has been appointed as the country's new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian government media reported in the early hours of Monday (9 Mar 2026 GMT+7) that Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died from a U.S. and Israeli airstrike on 28 Feb.
Mojtaba Khamenei was selected by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 senior clerics responsible for appointing the Supreme Leader.
Since the founding of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the Assembly of Experts has chosen a new Supreme Leader only once before—when Ali Khamenei was urgently selected following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini more than three decades ago.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (5 Mar) that he "cannot accept" the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as his father's successor.
Furthermore, Donald Trump told ABC News on Sunday (8 Mar) that Iran's next Supreme Leader will not last long if he does not receive Trump's approval.
Mojtaba, aged 56, is the second son of Khamenei. He is well known for wielding significant influence behind the scenes and has close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's most powerful military force, as well as the semi-military volunteer Basij forces.
Mojtaba is not a senior cleric and holds no official government position in Iran. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2019 for working closely with commanders of the Quds Force and Basij to support his father’s efforts to destabilize the region and suppress internal dissent.
Israeli sources reported that last week Israel targeted Mojtaba in an attack on Iran, but believe he sustained only minor injuries from the attempt.
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Source:CNN