News Desk: Iran’s powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, has reportedly selected Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next Supreme Leader, according to media reports.
Sources indicate that the decision was made amid strong influence from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reflecting the growing role of the powerful military establishment in the country’s political structure.
The reported development has triggered sharp reactions from Israel. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that whoever assumes Iran’s top leadership will remain a “target for elimination” if they continue policies aimed at threatening Israel and its allies.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Katz said any Iranian Supreme Leader who continues efforts to pursue hostility against Israel, the United States, and regional partners would face decisive action. He added that Israel’s leadership has instructed the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to remain ready to act as part of the ongoing military campaign known as Operation Lion’s Roar.
Born in 1969, Mojtaba Khamenei is a cleric who has long been viewed as an influential figure behind the scenes within Iran’s political and religious establishment. Although he has never held a major formal government post, analysts believe he has wielded significant influence through close ties with senior clerics and security institutions.
He reportedly served during the final phase of the Iran–Iraq War in the late 1980s and later built strong connections with the IRGC and the Basij militia. The Basij forces were deployed to suppress protests that erupted after Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.
Iran’s clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, has elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic’s new Supreme Leader, according to his informed sources who spoke to Iran International on condition of anonymity.https://t.co/JXEYda0vRf pic.twitter.com/j3JYy1Ah7e
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 4, 2026
For years, Mojtaba Khamenei has been considered one of the potential successors to his father, who has led Iran since 1989. His reported selection could mark a significant shift in Iran’s political landscape, as the Islamic Republic has traditionally rejected hereditary succession in leadership.
The reported transition comes at a time of escalating tensions in the Middle East, raising questions about how Iran’s leadership change could shape the country’s domestic power dynamics and its regional strategy.
