Who is Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei?

 Who is Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei?

 

In Tehran, Shiite cleric and longtime political figure Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has been elected as Iran’s third Supreme Leader. The appointment comes after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Arab News, the Supreme Leader’s appointment to the highest political and religious post is being seen as a significant moment in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as it marks the first time a member of the ruling family has directly assumed the position of head of state.

The decision has been described as surprising by some observers, as it has been seen as akin to a monarchy. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979 after the overthrow of the monarchy, and its basic principle is that the Supreme Leader is chosen based on religious standing and proven leadership, not family inheritance.

According to the BBC, two years ago, a member of the Assembly of Experts said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was opposed to his son being a candidate for future leadership, but he has never made any public statements on the subject.

For a long time, Mojtaba Khamenei was considered one of the most influential figures in Iran's political system. He played a key role behind the scenes and had close ties to powerful security agencies, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

According to the AP, US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in the late 2000s described Mojtaba Khamenei as the "power behind the rubes" and described him as an "important and strong" figure in the Iranian system.

Early life

Born on September 8, 1969 in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Mojtaba Khamenei grew up during a turbulent period in Iran's history. His father was a central figure in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and established the Islamic Republic.

As a child, Mojtaba witnessed major changes in Iran's political system and his father's rapidly rising role in the revolution. The Khamenei family traces its lineage back to Imam Hussein, a lineage held in high esteem by the Shiite clergy.

He joined the Revolutionary Guards during the final years of the Iran-Iraq War in the late 1980s (Photo: AFP)

Mojtaba received his early education in the northwestern cities of Sardasht and Mahabad, and later graduated from Tehran's Alavi High School. After school, he began his formal Islamic studies and studied with many prominent scholars, including his father, such as Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

He later joined the Qom Seminary, which holds a prominent position among Shiite scholarly centers, and also taught there.

Before adopting a fully religious life, Mujtaba joined the Revolutionary Guards during the final years of the Iran-Iraq War in the late 1980s and participated in various operations as a member of the Habib bin Mazahir Battalion.

In 1999, he married Zahra Haddad Adel, daughter of conservative politician Gholam Ali Haddad Adel. The couple had three children.

According to Iranian government statements, Mujtaba's wife, parents, and one son were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes in 2026 during regional tensions.

Political influence

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mojtaba Khamenei had emerged as an influential figure in the inner circle of the Supreme Leader's office. His role came to the fore in the 2009 presidential election crisis, where, according to reports by the BBC and the New York Times, he played a key role in the controversial re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and supported the crackdown on the protest movement that followed.

In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on

Critics alleged that Mojtaba had close ties to the Basij militia, which was used to crush large-scale protests known as the "Green Movement". At the time, Deputy Interior Minister Mostafa Tajzadeh described the results as an "election coup". He was sentenced to seven years in prison, which he described as the result of “the direct will of Mojtaba Khamenei.”

After the 2009 elections, reformist candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi were placed under house arrest. According to BBC Persian, Mojtaba met with Mousavi in ​​February 2012 and urged him to end the protests.

Although he rarely appeared in public or gave speeches, his influence in state security institutions made him a central figure in the country’s power structure.

In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Mojtaba, accusing him of working on behalf of the Supreme Leader and having deep ties to the Iranian security apparatus and regional networks.

Politically, he is considered part of Iran’s ultra-conservative elite. According to Patrick Clausen of the Washington Institute, Mojtaba is likely to adopt a strategy of “resistance consolidation,” which would involve greater reliance on the Revolutionary Guards to increase regional influence.

His father, Ali Khamenei, was also given the status

Clawson added that the current circumstances, including the deaths of his family members, could lead him to adopt a more hardline stance towards the US.

According to him, ‘he may see external threats as existential, place more emphasis on state power and resistance, and show less desire for reconciliation with the US than his father.’

Criticism from religious scholars

Mujtaba is a mid-level religious scholar, which could hinder his acceptance as the new Supreme Leader.

According to the BBC, even before the election, some media outlets and influential circles in Iran had started calling him ‘Ayatollah’, which some observers see as a campaign to elevate his religious status.

In the Iranian system, the rank of ‘Ayatollah’ is considered a basic requirement for a potential candidate for Supreme Leader. His father, Ali Khamenei, was also given the status of ‘Ayatollah’ shortly after becoming Supreme Leader in 1989.

The assets included valuable properties in London

Wealth and Assets

A year-long investigation by Bloomberg in January 2026 revealed that Mojtaba Khamenei was linked to an offshore financial network set up to hold and transfer assets abroad.

The assets included valuable properties in London and Dubai, interests in shipping, banking and hospitality businesses in Europe.

The assets were not directly in his name, but were organized through various intermediaries and business structures, including entities linked to prominent businessman Ali Ansari, according to the research. Some of these assets were sold or reorganized after growing international scrutiny.

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