Who is Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and how influential is his family?

 

Who is Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and how influential is his family?

 

The protests that started against the increase in inflation in Iran are now turning into demands for the end of the rule of the supreme leader of the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei has described the protesters as "a mob of miscreants" and "disruptors" who, he said, are "trying to please the President of the United States."

In a speech on state TV on January 9, the 86-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Everyone should know clearly that the Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of a few hundred thousand honorable people, and this system will never back down in front of those who deny this fact."

Later, addressing a rally of his supporters, which was broadcast on state television, Khamenei hardened his stance, saying Iran "will not hesitate to deal with these elements."

During June 2025, American media reported that during the Iran-Israel conflict last year, US President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it was "not a good idea."

At the moment, Israel says its recent attacks on Iran are aimed at removing threats to Israel's security from Iran's nuclear capabilities. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the regime in power in Tehran may change as a result of Israeli attacks. He appealed to the Iranian people to rise up against their leaders.

In this context, we will see who are the supreme leaders of Iran and how much power they have. Also, what role does Ayatollah Khamenei's family play in Iran's politics?

How powerful is Khamenei's son Mujtaba?

Mujtaba studied at Allavi High School in Tehran. This is the same school where the children of Iran's top government officials traditionally attend.

He was married to the daughter of the conservative figure Ghulam Ali Haddad Adil when he had not become a scholar and was thinking of starting religious studies in Qom. At the age of 30, Mujtaba started receiving regular religious education from Qom madrassa.

By the mid-2000s, Mojtaba's influence in Iran's political circles had grown considerably, but was rarely discussed in the media.

Mujtaba first made headlines in 2004 when presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi accused him of working behind the scenes to support Ahmadinejad in an open letter to Ayatollah Khamenei.

Since the 2010s, he has been seen as one of the most influential figures in Iran. Khamenei is believed to see him as the most suitable candidate to succeed him. However, some official sources deny this.

Ayatollah is not a king who can hand over his throne to his son. However, Mujtaba wields considerable influence in Ayatollah Khanae's inner circles, including the Supreme Leader's office.

It should be noted that the office of the Supreme Leader is much more powerful than the constitutional institutions in many cases.

Khamenei's eldest son is Mustafa Khamenei. His wife is the daughter of conservative religious leader Azizullah Khushwaqt.

Mustafa and Mojtaba served on the front lines during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

Masoud, the third son of Ali Khamenei, was born in 1972. He was married to the daughter of Syed Mohsin Kharazi, a scholar belonging to the Qom Madrasah Teachers' Association.

Masoud Khamenei stays away from political circles and information about him is very limited.

He previously headed the office that serves as an important propaganda center for Ayatollah Khamenei. Apart from this, this office also serves to preserve the works of his father. Massoud is also responsible for compiling Khamenei's biography and memoirs.

Khamenei's youngest son, Maysam, was born in 1977 and, like his three brothers, is also a scholar.

His wife is the daughter of Mahmoud Lulachian, an influential businessman who is known to have financed revolutionary religious leaders before the 1979 revolution.

Maisham has worked with his elder brother Masood in the office responsible for preserving his father's works.

Who are Khamenei's daughters?

Very limited information is available about Khamenei's daughters Bushra and Huda. Both of them are the youngest of their siblings and were born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Born in 1980, Bushra is married to Mohammad Javed Gulpaygani, son of Ghulam Hussain Muhammad Mohammadi Gulpaygani. Ghulam Hussain Mohammad Mohammadi is the Chief of Staff in Khamenei's office.

Khamenei's youngest child Huda was born in 1981. He is married to Misbah-ul-Huda Baqeri Kani who teaches at Imam Sadiq University.