The Islamic Republic of Iran has reportedly chosen a new supreme leader following the death of longtime ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a report from Iran International, a Persian-language news outlet based in London.
The outlet reported Tuesday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, was selected for the powerful role by Iran’s Assembly of Experts. The report claims the decision came “under pressure from” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the regime’s powerful military force.
Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran since 1989, was killed during the initial wave of American and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend. During his decades in power, Khamenei developed a reputation as a brutal authoritarian leader while Iran itself became widely known as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
The reported selection of Mojtaba Khamenei would place the son of the longtime ruler at the helm of the Islamic Republic during a period of significant uncertainty and escalating conflict.
CNN previously reported that Mojtaba Khamenei has long exercised considerable influence behind the scenes within Iran’s political and military circles.
He is “known to wield significant influence behind the scenes and has strong links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the most powerful military body in the country,” CNN reported. He is also said to have connections to the Basij, the regime’s volunteer paramilitary force.
Despite that influence, Mojtaba Khamenei has never held elected office and has largely operated outside the public eye.
Karim Sadjadpour, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, previously identified Mojtaba as a major contender to succeed his father. Writing in Foreign Affairs last fall, Sadjadpour noted that installing the younger Khamenei as supreme leader could raise questions about the direction of the Islamic Republic.
He pointed out that hereditary succession could conflict with a central principle of Iran’s 1979 revolution.
“Hereditary succession would directly betray one of the founding principles of the revolution: Khomeini’s insistence that monarchy was ‘un-Islamic,’” Sadjadpour wrote.
Sadjadpour also described Mojtaba Khamenei as a largely behind-the-scenes figure with deep ties to Iran’s security apparatus.
“Mojtaba has never held elected office, has virtually no public profile, and is known chiefly for his behind-the-scenes ties to the Revolutionary Guards,” he wrote.
According to Sadjadpour, the younger Khamenei represents continuity with the ruling generation that has dominated Iran’s political system for decades rather than the emergence of a new direction.
“His image evokes continuity with his father’s generation, not the dynamism of a new era,” Sadjadpour added.
Efforts by some of Mojtaba Khamenei’s supporters to portray him as a modernizing figure have drawn skepticism.
Sadjadpour pointed to social media campaigns that attempted to compare him with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including posts using the Persian hashtag #MojtabaBinSalman.
Those comparisons, he argued, suggest even supporters of the Iranian regime recognize that a forward-looking vision may be more appealing than simply continuing the status quo.
Israel’s Haaretz also reported Tuesday evening on the claims surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection.
As news of the reported decision circulated online, reactions came swiftly from commentators and analysts.
Ed Morrissey of HotAir urged caution in accepting the report at face value, suggesting the situation remains unclear.
“Interesting. Bear in mind that this very well may be the selection of a dead man by an assembly of dead people, published for propaganda,” Morrissey wrote.
“I’ll believe this is real when Mojtaba and any of the assembly make a public appearance that can be verified as contemporary,” he added.
Other reactions were more forceful. Fox News host Mark Levin called for Mojtaba Khamenei to be targeted.
Meanwhile, others online appeared to anticipate that possibility, responding by preemptively mourning the reported new leader.
With the situation inside Iran still rapidly evolving and details difficult to independently verify, questions remain about whether Mojtaba Khamenei will ultimately consolidate power as the country’s next supreme leader.
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