Iran Names Mojtaba Khamenei Supreme Leader, Revolutionary Guard Now Answers To Him

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has formally named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader.

“Home / World News / Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojtaba named Iran's new Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei's son Mojtaba named Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei will now have a central say in Iran's war strategy, with the country's powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard answering to him Advertisement”

Business Standard

He is the 56-year-old son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

NPR

State media reported the appointment and Reuters coverage noted he replaces his father.

State outlets said a majority of the clerical body voted for Mojtaba.

They called on the public, political figures and senior clergy to pledge allegiance.

The announcements signalled an official transfer of power amid wartime conditions.

Observers and the reporting indicate Mojtaba's elevation is likely to continue his father's hard-line orientation.

Outlets highlight his close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Globe and Mail

Iran's armed forces, via the semiofficial Fars agency, publicly pledged full allegiance and vowed to defend the revolution more forcefully under the new leader.

State television's swift shift to celebratory, one-sided coverage further suggested a consolidation of hard-line messaging around the succession.

The selection prompted a mix of orchestrated displays and visible dissent inside Iran.

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The Globe and Mail

State institutions and clerical leaders called for pledges of loyalty.

Residents in Tehran and opposition voices made clear their discontent.

Reports describe audible chants of "Death to Mojtaba".

Opponents warned that his rule could be harsher and more confrontational toward the U.S. and Israel.

Officials urged unity even as critics and ordinary Tehran residents signalled alarm at the prospect of escalated repression and regional hostility.

Mojtaba’s elevation comes amid an intense regional military escalation.

Reporting ties the succession to the wider war that began after a U.S.–Israeli strike killed Ali Khamenei, with U.S. and Israeli leaders vowing continued strikes and warning about targeting successors.

NPR

Since then, Israel struck Iranian oil facilities, producing large fires, and Iran struck regional infrastructure including a desalination plant in Bahrain.

U.S. officials reported continuing combat-related U.S. casualties, underscoring immediate security implications of the leadership transition.