Mojtaba Khamenei named Iran’s new supreme leader after father killed in airstrikes

Iranian state television announced Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been named to succeed his father after the elder Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that began the current conflict.

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Mojtaba Khamenei had long been viewed as a potential successor despite holding no formal government post and maintaining a low public profile.

The selection followed days of speculation and reports of divisions among clerics as the 88-member Assembly of Experts deliberated.

The article notes there has been only one previous transfer of power in the office since the Islamic Revolution nearly five decades ago, and it is unclear which other candidates, if any, were considered or what the Assembly's deliberations specifically entailed.

As supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei will hold sweeping authority within Iran’s political system.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps answers to the supreme leader, who serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and has the final say over major matters of state and war strategy.

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The position also holds ultimate authority over Iran’s nuclear policy and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, making the identity and decisions of the new supreme leader central to military strategy and nuclear oversight.

The succession has already drawn criticism from Mr. Trump, who said, "Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me."

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He added that he wants a role in determining who ultimately leads Iran after the war.

In an interview with ABC News, Mr. Trump said a new Iranian leader "is not going to last long" without U.S. approval.

Those comments came as debate in Washington grows over whether the United States could expand its role in the conflict.

Some analysts suggested the possibility of deploying U.S. troops or special operations forces if the war escalates further.

Sen. Thom Tillis warned that sending American forces into combat in Iran would require a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force from Congress.

Iranian officials say more than 1,200 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began, and additional deaths have been reported in Lebanon, Israel and Gulf states struck by Iranian missiles and drones.

The fighting has rattled global energy markets, and the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum supply passes — has become increasingly dangerous for shipping, helping push crude oil prices above $90 a barrel.

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The Washington Times warns that the new supreme leader's identity and choices carry significant implications for the direction of the war, regional stability and the future of Iran’s nuclear program.