Iranian state media is reporting that Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been selected as the country’s new supreme leader, in a succession decision made amid wartime conditions and days of contradictory signals from officials and senior clerics.
The announcement, first carried by Iranian state outlets and then reported by several international news organisations, has not been accompanied by detailed public documentation of the Assembly of Experts’ deliberations. Reporting on the succession process has been fast-moving in recent days, with some Iranian figures previously denying that a final decision had been reached.
If confirmed, Mojtaba Khamenei’s elevation would mark the most consequential leadership change in Iran since 1989 and would be especially sensitive because it risks drawing comparisons with hereditary rule, something the Islamic Republic has historically defined itself against since the 1979 revolution that toppled the Pahlavi monarchy.
Iran’s constitution assigns the selection of the supreme leader to the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of clerics. During a vacancy, Article 111 provides for a three-member interim leadership council to assume the supreme leader’s duties. Iranian and international reporting in the past week has identified President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and senior cleric Alireza Arafi as key figures in that interim arrangement, though the extent of its authority during the crisis has been disputed in some accounts.
Ali Khamenei’s death was announced by Iranian state media in early March, after he was reported killed on 28 February during strikes at the outset of the widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Funeral ceremonies were held over several days, according to state-linked reporting, as Iran’s leadership faced intense security pressures and mounting questions about continuity of command.
In recent days, multiple outlets had described Mojtaba Khamenei as a leading contender to succeed his father, while also citing internal disagreement, delays and concerns inside the clerical establishment over whether a final decision had been formalised and how quickly it would be announced.
On Sunday, senior clerics were reported by some media to have confirmed that a successor had been elected, but in some accounts the name was initially withheld. Later, Iranian state media reports, carried by international outlets including Axios, said Mojtaba Khamenei had been chosen.
Reuters also reported on Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei was likely to be selected, in coverage that reflected the broad direction of reporting among several major organisations, even as uncertainty persisted about the timing and form of any formal assumption of the post.
Mojtaba Khamenei, born in 1969, has never held elected office and has not faced a public vote. He has, however, long been seen by analysts as an influential figure within Iran’s power structure, with deep ties to his father’s inner circle and to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which plays a central role in national security and regional operations.
His profile has been the subject of controversy for years. Reformist and opposition figures have accused him of playing a part behind the scenes in state efforts to suppress the 2009 Green Movement protests, allegations repeatedly referenced in international reporting and long denied by Iranian authorities. He has also been linked, in international coverage, to the consolidation of hardline networks within the state.
Beyond the political sensitivities, his religious credentials have been scrutinised by some commentators, with questions raised in international reporting about whether he meets traditional expectations for senior clerical standing compared with past holders of the role.
The prospect of a father-to-son succession has been particularly contentious inside and outside Iran because the Islamic Republic was founded in opposition to monarchy. A dynastic handover could provide ammunition to critics who argue that the post-revolutionary system has replicated features of hereditary rule, even though the formal mechanism for selection is an internal clerical vote.
The transition has also unfolded under direct external pressure. The United States and Israel have issued repeated warnings during the conflict, and Israeli officials have publicly threatened to pursue Iran’s leadership and those involved in selecting a successor, according to reports carried by international outlets. Earlier this month, Axios cited an Israeli official as saying a strike targeted a building associated with the Assembly of Experts in Qom, underscoring the security risks surrounding the succession process.
In Washington, President Donald Trump has said publicly that he should be involved in determining Iran’s next leader, according to Associated Press reporting, and has indicated opposition to certain potential successors. Such statements have been widely criticised by Iran’s leadership and are likely to be cited by hardliners as evidence of foreign interference.
China has called for a truce as the regional situation escalates, while Gulf states and other regional actors have watched the succession closely for signs of how Iran may prosecute the war and manage internal stability.
The broader conflict continues to frame the succession. Iranian state-linked figures have cited high casualty totals from Iranian strikes in the early phase of the escalation, while regional reports have described Iranian attacks extending to Gulf targets, including Kuwait and Bahrain, as the confrontation spread.
Key questions remain unresolved on Sunday night, including whether Mojtaba Khamenei has formally assumed the role through any public oath or decree, how unified the Assembly of Experts was in its decision-making, and what practical balance of power will exist between the new supreme leader, the interim structures established under the constitution and the IRGC during wartime.
For now, the announcement should be treated as a report originating in Iranian state media, now echoed by multiple international outlets, in a fluid and high-risk environment in which official statements have at times conflicted and independent verification inside Iran is limited.