Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the assassinated former leader, in Tehran in 2019. (Photo: X) Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has emerged as the leading contender to take over the country’s top job, according to a New York Times report.
The newspaper, citing three Iranian officials familiar with internal discussions, said Iran’s powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, met on Tuesday to deliberate on the succession. Mojtaba Khamenei was described as the “clear favourite”, although a final announcement was still being considered.
Some clerics reportedly expressed concern that quickly naming him could make him a target amid ongoing hostilities with the United States and Israel. Read all the latest developments here.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was born in 1969 in Mashhad. He grew up during the years when his father was actively opposing the Shah before Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Unlike many senior figures in Iran’s clerical establishment, Mojtaba is not considered a high-ranking religious scholar. He has never held elected office and does not hold any formal government positions. However, he is widely believed to wield significant influence behind the scenes, particularly through his close ties to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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He fought during the Iran-Iraq War and later became involved in managing parts of his father’s office. In 2019, the United States sanctioned him, alleging that he acted in an official capacity on behalf of the supreme leader despite holding no formal title.
Why your selection is significant
His appointment would be historic as Iran’s leadership has long rejected the idea of hereditary rule, and father-to-son succession is traditionally frowned upon within Shiite clerical circles.
Ali Nasr, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University, told the New York Times that Mojtaba’s rise would indicate that “a much tougher Revolutionary Guard side of the regime is now in charge.”
His supporters may see him as a continuation of his father’s rule at a time of crisis. Critics, however, could see the move as entrenching dynastic politics within a system that officially opposes the monarchy.
The Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 members elected by the public, is constitutionally responsible for appointing and supervising the supreme leader. This would be only the second time in the history of the Islamic Republic that it has elected a new leader.
