TEHRAN (Kashmir English): Ayatollah Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly been elected as the new Supreme Leader, according to reports from Iran.
The reported appointment follows the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, 2026, during joint US-Israeli airstrikes.
The decision was taken by Iran’s Assembly of Experts. Reportedly, it held a session under significant pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to bypass standard procedures and quickly install Mojtaba as the successor.
Following Ali Khamenei’s death, a three-member Interim Leadership Council was briefly formed to govern according to Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution.
It included Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i.
Who’s Mojtaba Khamenei
The 56-year-old is the second son of Ali Khamenei and has long been viewed as a “shadow power” within the regime.
He maintains exceptionally close relationships with the IRGC and the Basij paramilitary force.
He was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2019 for his influential role in his father’s inner circle and his alleged involvement in suppressing domestic protests.
