Iran’s clerical powerbrokers have named Mojtaba Khamenei, second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the nation’s new supreme leader in a historic father-to-son handover that breaks sharply from the 1979 revolution’s anti-monarchy roots.
The Assembly of Experts announced the decision Sunday through state media, describing it as a “decisive vote” and calling on Iranians—particularly “the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities”—to unite behind him during this perilous time.
The move quickly won backing from Iran’s military and political heavyweights, including IRGC leaders who pledged loyalty to the 56-year-old cleric, long a shadowy influencer in his father’s circle despite holding no formal office. Yemen’s Houthis, key Iranian allies, celebrated the appointment.
“We congratulate the Islamic Republic of Iran, its leadership and people, on the selection of Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution at this important and pivotal juncture,” they said on Telegram, hailing it as “a new victory for the Islamic Revolution and a resounding blow to the enemies of the Islamic Republic and the enemies of the nation.”
Yet the selection has inflamed tensions. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Mojtaba as “unacceptable,” warning he is “not going to last long” without Washington’s blessing.
Israel vowed to pursue any Khamenei successor relentlessly. Ayatollah Ali died on 28 February in a U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran that sparked the current war, and recent Israeli hits on five city oil sites have prompted Iranian threats against Gulf energy targets.
“If you can tolerate oil at more than $200 per barrel, continue this game,” an IRGC spokesperson cautioned.
Fresh Iranian strikes Sunday battered Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait; Riyadh downed 15 drones while two died in a Saudi residential hit.
As crude prices soar, the U.S. has promised not to target Iran’s energy infrastructure, but analysts warn Mojtaba’s rise signals Tehran’s defiance, potentially dragging the region deeper into chaos.