Tehran: Amid escalating war tensions and threats of Israeli attacks, Mojtaba Khamenei has been selected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader. He is the second son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The decision was made by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 senior Shia clerics responsible for choosing the country’s top religious and political authority.
Due to security threats and fears of an Israeli strike, the Assembly of Experts did not meet physically to conduct the election. Instead, the voting process was carried out online. The assembly usually convenes at a building in the holy city of Qom, a key religious center for Shia Muslims. However, an Israeli airstrike reportedly targeted that building during the time the election was expected to take place.
Iranian media reported that the building attacked in Qom was empty because the clerics had avoided gathering there due to security concerns. The Iran-linked Fars news agency said the decision to shift the voting process online was taken after intelligence warnings about possible attacks.
Three candidates were considered for the position — Mojtaba Khamenei, Alireza Arafi, and Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Iran’s first Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini. While Arafi and Hassan Khomeini are seen as relatively moderate figures, Mojtaba Khamenei is considered a powerful conservative with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to have played a significant role in coordinating military and intelligence activities in Iran. Although he rarely appears in public or speaks at major events, he is widely regarded as an influential figure within Iran’s power structure.
Earlier reports suggested that Ali Khamenei had reservations about a hereditary transfer of power. However, the political situation following his death and the ongoing conflict appear to have strengthened support for Mojtaba among Iran’s leadership and supporters. Observers say the development could further heighten tensions in the already volatile West Asia region.
