Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, in a move that signals the continued dominance of hardliners in Tehran even as the country remains locked in an escalating conflict with the United States and Israel.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a mid-ranking cleric believed to wield significant influence within Iran’s security establishment and the vast economic networks built under his father’s leadership, had long been viewed as a leading contender for the position.
The decision was made by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member body of clerics responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader after the death of Ali Khamenei. Confirming the decision, the assembly issued a statement shortly after midnight Tehran time.
“By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement said. The post of Supreme Leader gives Mojtaba Khamenei ultimate authority over all matters of state in the Islamic Republic, including control over the military, judiciary and key political institutions.
His appointment is expected to heighten tensions with Washington. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States should have a say in the leadership transition in Iran. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” Trump told ABC News.
Israel had also issued warnings ahead of the announcement, indicating that whoever assumed the role could be targeted. Ali Khamenei, Iran’s longtime Supreme Leader, was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran on February 28 as hostilities erupted between Iran and the US-Israel alliance.
The conflict has already taken a heavy toll. The US military reported on Sunday that a seventh American service member had died from injuries sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack a week earlier. The announcement came a day after Trump oversaw the return to the United States of the remains of six other American personnel who had been killed.
According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, the US-Israeli military campaign has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and left thousands more wounded. Despite calls from Washington for Tehran to capitulate, Iranian leaders signalled that the country had no intention of backing down.
As Trump pressed for what he described as an “unconditional surrender,” Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire and would continue to punish those responsible for the attacks. Meanwhile, Israel continued to target senior Iranian officials as part of its military campaign.
Israeli authorities said Abolqasem Babaian, who had recently been appointed head of the military office of the Supreme Leader, was killed in an airstrike carried out on Saturday. As the fighting entered its ninth day, residents in Tehran reported seeing thick black smoke hanging over parts of the city after airstrikes targeted oil storage facilities.
The attacks lit up the night sky with large plumes of orange flames, indicating significant damage to energy infrastructure. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the large-scale assault as a dangerous escalation in the conflict and accused the attackers of committing a war crime.
“By targeting fuel depots, the aggressors are releasing hazardous materials and toxic substances into the air,” Baghaei wrote in a post on X. Israel defended the strikes, saying the facilities were linked to Iran’s military capabilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the offensive against Iran would continue and warned that the country’s leadership would face sustained attacks.