A portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei: The son and successor to Iran's Supreme Leader.
Iran's Assembly of Experts has officially named Mojtaba Khamenei as the successor to his late father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This move sends a clear message that Iran's leadership remains firmly in control of Tehran's political landscape, even as the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel enters its second week.
As the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba had long been considered by observers as the strongest candidate for the country's supreme leader, even long before the Israeli airstrike that killed his father on February 28th – the first day of the conflict.
Despite being a relatively low-profile figure in the Islamic Republic, for decades American diplomats have often referred to Mojtaba with a phrase that describes his far-reaching influence: "The real power behind the cloak."
Since February 28th – the day the US and Israeli air forces launched an attack targeting the Supreme Leader's office, killing his 86-year-old father and his wife, Zahra Haddad Adel – Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public. It is likely he is temporarily in hiding as US and Israeli airstrikes continue against Iran. State media has yet to provide any updates on his whereabouts. To date, state media has remained completely silent about his whereabouts.
However, with Mojtaba's father being honored as a "martyr" in the war against the US and Israel, the young Khamenei's political standing is seen as having significantly "risen" in the eyes of the senior clerics of the 88-seat Assembly of Experts – the body responsible for finding the country's leader.
In Iran, the Supreme Leader is the "heart" of the Shiite spiritual system, with a complex power-sharing mechanism that holds the final say on all national affairs. This position also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the army and the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Now, the new Supreme Leader will take full control of Iran's military and uranium stockpile – a strategic deterrent that Tehran could use if necessary. He ascends to the top leadership position amidst escalating tensions with the US and Israel, primarily stemming from deep disagreements over Iran's nuclear program and military power.
"Passed down from father to son"
Before Mojtaba was chosen, the race for leadership had seen several prominent names, such as Alireza Arafi – a member of the recent interim leadership team; Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri – a representative of the most extreme conservative wing of the Shiite clerics; and Hassan Khomeini – grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini.
Born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad – a decade before the seismic upheaval of the 1979 Islamic Revolution – Mojtaba's childhood was intertwined with the years his father tirelessly campaigned against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. After the fall of the Shah regime, the Khamenei family shifted their focus to the capital, Tehran.
During the bloody Iran-Iraq war, Mojtaba served in the military, fighting directly in a division of the Revolutionary Guard. When his father officially became Supreme Leader in 1989, Mojtaba Khamenei and his family inherited the Shah's estate, which is managed through foundation funds scattered throughout Iran.
Mojtaba's power grew alongside that of his father. Directly running the Supreme Leader's Office in central Tehran, he held a complex and powerful role. Research organizations in the US assessed him as a key and influential aide to the Supreme Leader's internal decision-making.
A historian specializing in Iran at the Center for Etopia (Brussels), told France 24: "Mojtaba Khamenei ascended to the throne as a continuation of his father's legacy – a man who always wanted to surround himself with his most loyal followers."
Meanwhile, critics argue that the new leader is only at the rank of "hojatoleslam"—a mid-level rank within the Shiite clerics. However, the Iranian constitution is very strict, requiring candidates to attain the rank of Grand Ayatollah "ayatollah marja," meaning "source of example," to reach the pinnacle of power, and to demonstrate extensive experience in religious teaching over many years.
A "decisive" and "authoritative" leader.
Throughout more than three decades of working alongside his father, Mojtaba Khamenei skillfully leveraged his central position to build a solid foundation of influence.
U.S. diplomatic cables from the late 2000s revealed that he acted as his father's "supreme gatekeeper" and had quietly built a solid power base within the Iranian political system.
A leaked 2008 cable stated that Mojtaba "is generally seen by the regime's leadership as a capable and decisive manager and leader who could one day inherit at least part of the national leadership; and his father probably viewed him in that light as well." While the cable did point out some of his limitations, it also offered a warning: "However, thanks to his capabilities, financial resources, and extensive network of alliances, Mojtaba is considered by many within the party to be a perfectly reasonable candidate to succeed his father to the leadership of Iran, when that day comes, sooner or later."
In 2019, during President Donald Trump's first term, the US imposed direct sanctions on Mojtaba, accusing him of actively supporting his father's regional and domestic policies.
Most recently, according to the US Treasury Department, Mojtaba Khamenei coordinated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard in a campaign to suppress nationwide protests in January 2026.
