Benzinga

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) sharply criticized reported developments in Iran's leadership after state media said the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been named the country's new supreme leader.

Responding to a CBS News report, Graham posted on X calling Mojtaba Khamenei "not the change we're looking for," saying "He has lived large as the Iranian people have suffered," and warning "I believe it's just a matter of time before he meets the same fate as that of his father — one of the most evil men on the planet."

Benzinga

Graham also addressed Iranians directly, saying "To the Iranian people: stand firm. Your liberation is at hand."

The report noted Mojtaba Khamenei has never held elected office and has spent years building influence inside Iran's power structure, particularly within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The article places Graham's remarks amid heightened regional tensions.

It says that last month Israeli officials claimed Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei had been killed in strikes.

Benzinga

Iran's state media confirmed his death.

President Donald Trump announced the event on Truth Social, calling Khamenei "one of the most evil people in history."

Tehran began a 40-day mourning period.

The piece cites further exchanges between U.S. and Iranian officials.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned that any U.S. escalation would prompt a military response and blamed Trump for ending a diplomatic opening.

The article reports Trump accused Iran of bombing the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, resulting in significant civilian casualties, and said Iran had apologized to regional neighbors and pledged to stop firing, framing that as a capitulation under U.S.-Israel pressure.

Iranian officials publicly rejected Trump's statements.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insisted Iran's future would be determined solely by its people.