On Sunday, Iran’s clerical leadership officially named Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as the nation’s new supreme leader, a move that directly challenges warnings from the United States and Israel.
Following the US-Israeli airstrikes nine days ago that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and sparked a regional war, the Assembly of Experts met to finalize the succession.
The 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei “is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts,” according to a statement released by the clerical body.
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Despite the ongoing conflict, the assembly emphasized their resolve, stating they “did not hesitate for a minute” in their decision, regardless of “the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime.”
The appointment has drawn sharp criticism from Washington. President Donald Trump, who had previously labeled the younger Khamenei a “lightweight,” maintained that the U.S. should have a role in the transition.
Before the official announcement, Trump told ABC News, “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long.”
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that the leadership choice was strictly an internal matter, telling NBC’s Meet the Press that Iran would “allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs.”
He further demanded that President Trump “apologise to people of the region” for the outbreak of the war.
Mojtaba Khamenei is seen as a hardline conservative, primarily due to his deep connections with the Revolutionary Guards.
His ascent comes amid extreme tension, as the Israeli military had issued a preemptive warning to any potential successor, stating, “we will not hesitate to target you.”
