Iran Names Mojtaba Khamenei Supreme Leader After US-Israel Strike Killed Ali Khamenei

Iran’s clerical Assembly of Experts has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56‑year‑old second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader after an airstrike killed his father.

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7NEWS Australia

State and international outlets reported the appointment came amid the U.S.-Israeli campaign that opened the war.

7NEWS Australia

State media and regional outlets said Mojtaba was named following the Feb. 28 strike that killed Ali Khamenei and relatives.

Al Jazeera noted he "has been named Iran’s new supreme leader after his father was killed in a strike that the United States and Israel launched on the first day of the war with Iran."

CNN reported "Iran has named Mojtba Khamenei its new supreme leader after US‑Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 killed his father," using the spelling "Mojtba."

Associated Press News said "Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, a long-secretive son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader after an Israeli airstrike killed his father and his wife."

Reports across regional and international outlets depict Mojtaba as a low-profile but powerful figure with deep links to Iran’s security apparatus rather than a conventional clerical pedigree.

He is repeatedly described as close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and lacking typical elected posts.

Al Jazeera

Coverage notes he was long a behind-the-scenes operator; 7NEWS called him a former IRGC member and long-time operative inside his father's office, and DW described him as enigmatic but highly influential and close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Financial Times warned he has not traditionally held an overt publicly constitutional role like 'supreme leader' before now, while the Global Times said he has never run for public office or been voted in but for decades has been an influential figure with deep ties to the IRGC and the Basij.

The selection produced a mix of internal loyalty and external alarm: Iranian security organs and hardliners voiced support while protests and scepticism were reported at home, and international leaders reacted sharply.

“Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father as supreme leader and Saudi sharpens warning Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father as supreme leader and Saudi sharpens warning DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late supreme leader, has been named as the Islamic Republic’s next ruler, authorities announced Monday, as Tehran widened its attacks across the Mideast to strike oil and water facilities crucial to its desert sheikdoms”

AP News

PressTV recorded domestic congratulations, reporting that President Masoud Pezeshkian 'publicly congratulated him' and praised national unity.

Outlets including The New York Times and CNN noted 'hard-line elements cheered' even as some Tehran residents chanted "Death to Mojtaba".

Foreign responses ranged from Israel's warning that a successor could be targeted to former U.S. President Donald Trump calling the appointment 'unacceptable'.

Mojtaba's elevation is unfolding against an intensifying regional war that has already hit Iranian energy and military infrastructure, driven casualties across several countries, and spurred market turmoil — factors that shape both the regime's immediate consolidation and international responses.

The New York Times linked the appointment to an airstrike that 'marked the opening of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.'

Associated Press News

The Irish Times said 'Israel struck at least five energy sites in and around Tehran, sending black smoke over the city.'

PBS summarized the broader human toll and disruption, citing officials saying 'at least 1,230 killed in Iran, 397 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel.'

The Financial Times warned of likely consequences including 'probable continuity or hardening of existing regional policies.'

Analysts and commentators note Mojtaba’s contested religious standing, the historic sensitivity to hereditary succession, and existing sanctions and allegations tied to his network.

“central command nor the Israeli military immediately responded to requests for comment from the AP”

Associated Press News

Foreign Policy framed the choice as breaking with revolutionary norms by describing how "a father-to-son succession is controversial."

Associated Press News

Muslim Network TV and the Associated Press observed that the move "consolidates power within Iran’s traditional establishment" and that Mojtaba "has never held elected or formal government office" and was "sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2019."

The Hindu highlighted concerns that he "is not generally recognized as a senior ayatollah; that could affect perceptions of religious legitimacy."