Iran names late Ayatollah Khamenei’s son as country’s new supreme leader

Iran’s state media have reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been named the country’s new Supreme Leader.

The development, reported by Al Jazeera on Sunday, citing Iranian state outlets, comes days after the death of the elder Khamenei from US and Israeli missile strikes. It also comes despite repeated statements by US President Donald Trump that he must be involved in the election of a new Ayatollah.

The appointment places Mojtaba Khamenei at the helm of the Islamic Republic’s most powerful office. This position holds ultimate authority over Iran’s political system, armed forces, judiciary and key state institutions.

How Iran chooses a supreme leader

Under Iran’s constitution, the Supreme Leader is chosen by a body of senior Islamic scholars, who are tasked with appointing and supervising the country’s highest religious and political authority.

The assembly is empowered to select a successor whenever the office becomes vacant due to death or resignation. The leader then becomes the final authority on major state matters, including defence policy, foreign affairs and oversight of the government.

Although official confirmation from the assembly has been limited, state-affiliated outlets have described Mojtaba Khamenei as the consensus choice among influential clerics and political figures.

Late Ali Khamenei

The late Ali Khamenei was one of the most influential figures in modern Iranian history. Born in 1939 in Mashhad, he was a close ally of Ruhollah Khomenei, the cleric who led the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Following the revolution, Khamenei rose quickly through the ranks of the new Islamic Republic. He served as Iran’s president from 1981 to 1989 before becoming the Supreme Leader after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini.

For more than three decades, he oversaw Iran’s political and ideological direction, shaping its regional influence, military posture and contentious relations with Western powers. His tenure was marked by repeated tensions with the United States and Israel, as well as debates inside Iran over political reforms and economic policy.

New supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei

Mojtaba Khamenei, believed to be in his mid-50s, has long been considered one of the most influential figures behind the scenes of Iranian politics.

Though he has never held a major public office, analysts say he has wielded significant influence through his close ties with religious institutions and security establishments, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

A cleric by training, Mojtaba studied in religious seminaries in the holy city of Qom, a centre of Shiite Islamic scholarship. Over the years, he has played a quiet but reportedly important role in managing political alliances and supporting conservative factions within Iran’s ruling establishment.

His emergence as Supreme Leader is likely to shape Iran’s future direction at a moment of significant geopolitical tension.

Iran–US–Israel conflict

The leadership transition comes amid one of the most volatile periods in the Middle East in recent years.

Although there has always been tension between Iran and the United States and Israel since the 1979 revolution toppled the Shah, who many Iranians considered a stooge of the US and Israel, the ongoing war is the deadliest between the parties.

The latest crisis intensified after a series of military confrontations and retaliatory strikes between the countries, raising fears of a broader regional conflict. The situation worsened further following a joint strike reportedly carried out by the United States and Israel that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to emerging reports.

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The confrontation has already rattled global energy markets and heightened security concerns across the Middle East.

Critical moment for Iran

The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei marks a pivotal moment for Iran as it navigates both an internal political transition and external military pressure.

Analysts who spoke to Aljazeerah say his leadership will be closely watched both within Iran and internationally, particularly regarding how he manages the ongoing conflict and the country’s relations with major global powers.

With the region already on edge, the new Supreme Leader’s early decisions could significantly influence the trajectory of the crisis and Iran’s role in the Middle East in the years ahead.