Iran’s ruling clerics appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, days after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli strikes that pushed the Middle East deeper into conflict.
The decision came nine days after the attacks and followed an emergency meeting of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s supreme leader.
In an announcement broadcast on Iranian state television, an anchor read the official statement beside a portrait of the 56-year-old cleric, who closely resembles his late father.
The Assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was “appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” following what it described as a decisive vote by its members.
The statement added that the body “did not hesitate for a minute” in selecting a successor despite what it called “the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime.”
The leadership transition comes amid intensifying regional tensions and domestic unrest. The conflict erupted weeks after Iranian authorities suppressed nationwide protests that left thousands dead.
The younger Khamenei is widely viewed as a hardliner expected to continue his father’s policies, including a strict stance against dissent.
Before the announcement, US President Donald Trump had dismissed Mojtaba Khamenei as a “lightweight” and said Washington should have influence over the leadership outcome.
“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told local media earlier.
