Iran Names Khamenei’s Son New Supreme Leader

Iran Names Khamenei’s Son New Supreme Leader

Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, one of the sons of the country’s slain supreme leader, as his father’s successor, according to a statement from top clerics published on state media.

 

“His ascension, announced early Monday morning, signals the government’s desire for continuity as Iran faces expanding attacks from the United States and Israel nine days into the war,” writes the New York Times.

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“Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was appointed by a committee of senior Shiite clerics after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the country for more than three decades, was killed in an airstrike during the opening blow of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. He is known for having close ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and takes the helm not just as Iran’s new religious and political authority but also as the commander in chief of its armed forces, writes the Times.

 

Analysis from Around the Middle East

 

“In recent years, Khamenei has increasingly been touted as a top potential replacement for his father. His selection could be a sign that more hardline factions in Iran’s establishment retain power, and could indicate that the government has little desire to agree to a deal or negotiations in the short term as the war is in its second week,” writes Al Jazeera.

 

Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem described Khamenei as his “father’s gatekeeper”. “He adopts the positions of his father with respect to the United States, with respect to Israel. So we are expecting a confrontational leader. We’re not expecting any moderation,” he said.