Assembly of Experts appoints Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader

The Assembly of Experts in Iran announced the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US–Israeli airstrikes on the morning of Saturday, February 28.

The Assembly called on the Iranian people to maintain unity and pledge allegiance to the new Supreme Leader, stressing that the decision was made during an extraordinary session and approved by a decisive majority of the members’ votes.

The statement said that the Assembly continued its meetings despite the wartime conditions and the bombardment that targeted its administrative offices, which resulted in the death of several employees and security personnel, noting that the selection of a new leader came to prevent a leadership vacuum.

The statement added that the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei was made in accordance with Article 108 of the Iranian Constitution, following extensive consultations and studies among Assembly members located in different parts of the country.

For his part, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf welcomed the decision, considering that following the new Supreme Leader is a religious and national duty.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said that Iran’s enemies believed the country would reach a dead end after the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, adding that Mojtaba is capable of leading the country during this sensitive stage.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its allegiance to the new leader, affirming loyalty and obedience to the one chosen by the Assembly of Experts, and describing the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the beginning of a new phase in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei was born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, and is the second son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

He grew up in a religious and political environment after the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. He studied in Tehran before moving in 1999 to the city of Qom to continue his religious studies in the seminary, where he studied Islamic jurisprudence and religious sciences. During his youth, he participated in the Iran–Iraq War as part of the Basij forces.

His name has long been linked to decision-making circles within the Iranian leadership, and in 2019 he was placed on the US sanctions list.

A-H 

ANHA