After the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei became his successor, the Iranian opposition media outlet Iran International reported.
According to journalists, the decision was made by the Assembly of Experts, the body that elects the country's supreme leader in accordance with the constitution. At the same time, it is alleged that the members of the assembly were pressured by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to quickly identify a successor to avoid political instability.
There has been no official confirmation from the Iranian authorities so far.
Mojtaba Khamenei is one of the late leader's sons and an influential Shiite cleric. For many years, he has been considered an important figure in Iran's behind-the-scenes politics, in particular because of his close contacts with the IRGC leadership.
He studied at the prestigious Alavi School in Tehran, which is traditionally attended by children of high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic. He began his formal religious education at the age of 30 at the seminary of Qom, one of the main centers of Shiite theology.
His wife is the daughter of an influential Iranian politician, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel. The marriage took place before Mojtaba became a cleric
The growth of his political influence began to be discussed in the mid-2000s. After the 2004 presidential election, one of the candidates, Mehdi Karroubi, publicly accused him of covertly supporting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Since the 2010s, Mojtaba Khamenei has been called one of the most influential people in the Islamic Republic, despite the lack of official positions. His possible appointment has repeatedly sparked debate, as the transfer of power from father to son can be perceived as the formation of a political dynasty in a country with a republican form of government.
On February 28, US President Donald Trump made an official statement confirming the launch of a large-scale military operation against Iran
Meanwhile, the IDF announced the liquidation of 40 key Iranian military commanders and all high-ranking leaders of the "Iranian axis of terror."
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