Mojtaba, Khamenei son, becomes Iran's new Supreme Leader

Mojtaba Khamenei has been appointed Iran's new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a move that has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump who seeks a role in the country's leadership selection.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Ali Khamenei, has been appointed Iran's new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts, Iranian state media reported.

In a post on X, Press TV said, "Iran's Assembly of Experts has appointed Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Leader of the Islamic Republic".

Mojtaba Khamenei is the second son of Ali Khamenei.

According to Al Jazeera, Iran's Assembly of Experts has called upon the Iranians to maintain unity and pledge support to Khamenei

Israeli media described Mojtaba as having a more hard-line position than his father and being behind the violent crackdowns on protesters in Iran.

In November 2019, the US Treasury Department issued sanctions against Mojtaba. He was designated for representing the then Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position.

The US Treasury further said that the then Supreme Leader had delegated a part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojataba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and also the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to advance his father's destabilising regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives.

It had also been reported that Mojtaba Khamenei has access to luxury properties in London and accounts in the UK, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

US Response to the Appointment

The development comes after US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next Supreme Leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israel joint military strike last week.

In an exclusive interview with Axios, Trump said he wanted a role in the appointment of Iran's next leader, drawing a comparison to his involvement in political developments in Venezuela in January following the capture of its former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a US military operation.

He had criticised the succession of Mojtaba Khamenei.

"They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela," Trump said, as quoted by Axios.

Trump described Mojtaba Khamenei as "unacceptable" and said he would prefer a leader who could bring "harmony and peace" to Iran, warning that a continuation of his father's policies could lead to renewed conflict with the United States in the future.

"Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran," the US President added.