TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s powerful clerical establishment has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, marking a historic and controversial transfer of power within the Islamic Republic.
Members of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s highest authority, announced the decision on Sunday. In a statement carried by state media, the assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen through what it described as a “decisive vote”.
The body urged Iranians to rally behind the new leader and preserve national unity during what it described as a critical moment for the country.
The appointment comes amid escalating regional tensions following the death of Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 37 years before being killed in a reported joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Tehran on 28 February.
Across Iran’s political and security establishment, officials moved quickly to pledge loyalty to the new leadership. State media reported that commanders of Iran’s armed forces and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly declared their allegiance.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament also endorsed the decision, describing support for Mojtaba Khamenei as both a “religious and national duty”.
Regional allies of Tehran welcomed the move. The Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen issued a statement congratulating Iran on the selection, calling it “a new victory for the Islamic Revolution”.
However, the appointment has drawn sharp criticism from the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump described Mojtaba Khamenei as an “unacceptable” choice and warned that the new leader “is not going to last long” without Washington’s approval.
Earlier Sunday, the Israeli military also signalled it would continue targeting Iranian leadership figures linked to the succession process.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s elevation marks the first time since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that Iran’s supreme leadership has passed from father to son. The development has triggered debate inside Iran and among international analysts over whether the Islamic Republic is drifting toward dynastic rule.
The 56-year-old cleric has never held elected office or formally occupied a senior government position. Instead, he spent decades working behind the scenes inside his father’s office, where he was widely viewed as a gatekeeper to the Supreme Leader.
Born in 1969 in the north-eastern city of Mashhad, Mojtaba studied theology in the seminaries of Qom and reportedly participated in the later stages of the Iran–Iraq War.
His name first gained widespread attention during the disputed 2009 Iranian presidential election, when reformist politicians accused him of supporting the security crackdown that followed mass protests. Mojtaba Khamenei has never publicly addressed the allegations.
Supporters argue his appointment ensures ideological continuity with the principles established by Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic. Critics, however, warn that it concentrates power within a single family in a system originally designed to replace hereditary rule.
The leadership transition unfolds against the backdrop of a widening regional conflict. Iran has threatened retaliatory strikes against oil facilities across the Gulf following Israeli attacks on several energy sites near Tehran.
Officials warned the confrontation could disrupt global energy markets. A spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards said escalating attacks could push oil prices above $200 per barrel.
Fresh Iranian drone and missile strikes were reported across the Gulf on Sunday, with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait all reporting attacks or attempted interceptions.
Saudi authorities said air defences intercepted 15 drones, while Bahrain reported damage to a major desalination facility. Saudi civil defence also confirmed two people were killed and 12 were injured after a projectile struck a residential area in the city of Al-Kharj.
