Who Is Mojtaba Khamenei? Iran’s New Supreme Leader – Everything You Need to Know

Iran has a new Supreme Leader. On Sunday, 8 March 2026, the country’s Assembly of Experts announced that Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been selected as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

The appointment comes just over a week after his father was killed in joint US–Israeli airstrikes on his compound in Tehran on 28 February, the first day of what has since escalated into a wider regional conflict.

The decision, confirmed by Iranian state television and several official news agencies, was quickly endorsed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as senior political leaders including the country’s president and parliamentary speaker. Analysts say the move signals continuity in Iran’s hardline political direction at a time of heightened tensions with the United States and Israel.

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Mojtaba Khamenei was born in Mashhad in 1969, the second son of Ali Khamenei. His early years coincided with his father’s rise as a revolutionary cleric opposing the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the family relocated to Tehran, where Mojtaba attended Alavi High School, an institution known for educating members of Iran’s political and religious elite. That same year he began formal clerical studies in Tehran under several senior religious scholars, including his father and Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, who later served as Iran’s chief justice.

During the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, Mojtaba reportedly served in the Habib Battalion, developing ties with members of the IRGC. Many of those individuals later rose to influential positions within Iran’s military and security establishment.

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Despite his influence, Mojtaba Khamenei has never held elected office or a formal government role. US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in the late 2000s described him as “the power behind the robes.”

Critics have long alleged that he played a behind-the-scenes role in key political developments, including the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections.

The US Treasury Department has previously stated that Mojtaba had been “representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father.” He was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 during Donald Trump’s presidency.

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Mojtaba is married to the daughter of former Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, a prominent conservative figure.

His appointment has drawn comparisons to the dynastic systems that Iran’s 1979 revolution originally sought to dismantle.

One political activist told Time magazine:

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Reports also suggest that members of the IRGC strongly supported his selection, with some sources claiming that members of the Assembly of Experts faced significant political pressure during the decision-making process.

Middle East analyst Ali Hashem of Al Jazeera described Mojtaba Khamenei as his father’s “gatekeeper.”

“He adopts the positions of his father with respect to the United States and Israel. So we are expecting a confrontational leader. We’re not expecting any moderation,” Hashem said.

Analysts believe recent personal losses may also shape his leadership. According to Time, Mojtaba lost several family members in the strikes that killed his father.

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Before the announcement, US President Donald Trump told Axios that Mojtaba’s possible appointment would be “unacceptable.”

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment,” Trump said.

He later told ABC News that the new leader “is not going to last long” without his approval.

Iranian officials dismissed the remarks. One member of the Assembly of Experts reportedly said the candidate was chosen partly because Iran’s leader should “be hated by the enemy” rather than endorsed by it.

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In a statement, the IRGC described Mojtaba as “the fully qualified jurist, the young thinker and the most knowledgeable in political and social matters,” pledging “full obedience and self-sacrifice.”

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the appointment as a sign of national unity, while the Israel Defense Forces warned that any successor to Ali Khamenei would remain a potential target.