Leadership transition in Tehran signals continuity of hardline power amid widening conflict
Mojtaba Khamenei. Photo: Reuters
DUBAI:
Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in US and Israeli air strikes on Tehran earlier this month, according to Iranian state media.
The announcement was made shortly after Sunday midnight in Tehran by the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s supreme authority. In a statement, the assembly said it had chosen Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei by a decisive vote as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a mid-ranking cleric known for his influence within Iran’s security establishment and extensive networks linked to his father’s political and economic structure, had long been considered a leading candidate for the position.
The role of Supreme Leader grants him ultimate authority over Iran’s political, military and religious institutions, placing him at the centre of decision-making during a period of heightened conflict with the United States and Israel.
Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, was killed in the first wave of US and Israeli strikes targeting key Iranian sites and leadership compounds in Tehran more than a week ago. The attacks triggered a series of retaliatory missile strikes by Iran across the Gulf region.
According to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, the US-Israeli operations have resulted in the deaths of at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and injuries to thousands more.
Meanwhile, the US military confirmed that a seventh American service member had died from injuries sustained during Iran’s initial retaliatory strikes. The announcement came a day after Donald Trump presided over the return of the remains of six other American personnel killed in the attacks.
Despite mounting pressure for de-escalation, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Tehran was not seeking a ceasefire and vowed the country would continue to respond to what it described as aggression.
