Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain former leader, in Tehran in 2019. (Photo: X)
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has emerged as the leading contender to take over the country’s highest post, according to a report by The New York Times.
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 succession. Mojtaba Khamenei was described as the “clear front-runner”, though a final announcement was still under consideration.
Some clerics reportedly expressed concern that naming him quickly 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 active in opposing the Shah before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Mojtaba, son of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, attends the annual Quds, or Jerusalem Day rally in Tehran, Iran. (Photo: X/@_GlobeObserver)
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 has no formal government post. However, he is widely believed to wield significant influence behind the scenes, particularly through his close ties with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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.
His appointment would be historic as Iran’s leadership has long rejected the idea of hereditary rule, and succession from father to son is not traditionally viewed favourably within Shia clerical circles.
Ali Nasr, an Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University, told The New York Times that Mojtaba’s elevation would signal that “a much more hard-line Revolutionary Guard side of the regime is now in charge”.
Supporters may see him as a continuation of his father’s rule at a time of crisis. Critics, however, could view the move as entrenching dynastic politics within a system that officially opposes monarchy.
The Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body elected by the public, is constitutionally responsible for appointing and overseeing the supreme leader. This would be only the second time in the Islamic Republic’s history that it has selected a new leader.
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Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the slain former leader, in Tehran in 2019. (Photo: X) 
