Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has long been considered a contender to the post of the country’s next paramount ruler — even before an Israeli strike killed his father at the start of the war last week and despite the fact he’s has never been elected or appointed to a government position. (ap photo)
The son of eliminated Iranian leader Ali Khamenei has been chosen to replace his father.
Mojtaba Khamenei had been seen as a frontrunner in the lead-up to the vote by the assembly that was charged with choosing Iran’s next leader. His father was killed in one of the first strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran more than a week ago.
“By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the assembly, which is made up of 88 clerics, said in a statement issued just after midnight local time on March 9.
Cleric candidates must be approved by the 12-member Guardian Council, half of whom are appointed by the supreme leader.
The position of supreme leader gives Mojtaba Khamenei the final say in all matters of state in the Islamic Republic.
He has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and influence with local clerics.
Hours before Iran’s announcement, U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said that he will be involved in picking Iran’s next leader, warned the Iranian regime that if their appointed successor is not approved by the United States, “he’s not going to last long.”
Trump previously said he did not support Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father.
“They are wasting their time,” Trump told Axios last week. “Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodríguez] in Venezuela.”
Trump previously said the potential new leaders that his administration would have preferred for Iran are dead. Dozens of Iranian commanders have been killed since the war began.
The U.S. military announced on March 8 that a seventh U.S. servicemember has died after being injured during the war against the Iranian regime.
U.S. Central Command revealed that the servicemember died on March 7 after being seriously wounded during an Iranian attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.
The name of the fallen warrior has not yet been released.
Six other U.S. soldiers have been killed during the Iran war. On March 7, Trump presided over the transfer of their remains at Dover Air Force Base under military honors.
Reuters contributed to this report.
