Mojtaba Khamenei Selected as Iran’s Supreme Leader After Father’s Killing

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian state media cited by Al Jazeera.

The decision was announced on Sunday by the Assembly of Experts, the constitutional clerical body responsible for choosing Iran’s top leader.

In a statement released through state media, the Assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen after what it described as a “decisive vote.”

The body called on the Iranian public to remain united and support the new leadership, urging citizens, “especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities,” to pledge allegiance and help preserve national unity.

The leadership change follows the death of Ali Khamenei, who had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989.

According to reports, he was killed on February 28 during a joint military operation by the United States and Israel targeting leadership sites in Tehran as regional tensions escalated.

His death immediately fueled speculation over the next Supreme Leader, with Mojtaba Khamenei widely viewed as a possible successor despite concerns within segments of Iran’s political and religious establishment about a hereditary-style transfer of power.

A mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei is known to maintain close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has long been regarded as a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in the Islamic Republic’s political structure.

Prior to the announcement, Donald Trump publicly criticised the prospect of Mojtaba assuming leadership, reportedly calling him a “lightweight” and arguing that he should not play a role in determining Iran’s leadership.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts is empowered to appoint the Supreme Leader, the nation’s highest political and religious authority, who holds ultimate control over government policy, the military and the judiciary.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment represents one of the most consequential political shifts in Iran in decades and comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the killing of his father.

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