Mojtaba Khamenei Replaces His Father as Supreme Leader

Latest Developments

Iranians Urged To Pledge Allegiance to New Leader: Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed to replace his father. Iran’s Assembly of Experts released a statement calling on Iranians to “keep unity and pledge allegiance to the new supreme leader.”
Trump Says ‘He’s Not Going To Last Long’: President Donald Trump said that Iran is “going to have to get approval from us” regarding the appointment of its next leader. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it,” Trump stated.
More Hardline Than His Father: “Mojtaba is expected to be more hardline than his father, and his ascent means the Iranian regime may get more repressive,” Axios observed. The younger Khamenei was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 for having “acted for or on behalf of” his father.

FDD Expert Response

“It’s unlikely Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection as supreme leader will change much. As President Trump said, ‘he’s not going to last long’ — and judging by the president’s track record, he means it. Israel has already put a target on Mojtaba’s back. By elevating this brutal, corrupt, and incompetent figure, the regime shows contempt for its own people, which should strengthen their resolve to overthrow the Islamic Republic. Under Mojtaba, Iran is likely to be as dangerous to the world as it was under his father. That’s why this war must continue until the regime is stripped of its deadly capabilities.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“Mojtaba Khamenei is the preferred candidate of the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and signals the regime’s effort to project continuity — not reform. Under his leadership, the IRGC is likely to grow, and so too will its brutal repression. While the regime is still fighting, it is also afraid. Mojtaba has not been seen publicly, nor has a funeral been held for his father. The question now is: how long will he be supreme leader?” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow