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Mojtaba Khamenei Takes Power in Iran — The Quiet Figure Now Leading the Islamic Republic
Iran’s Assembly of Experts has selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader. The decision came after Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike on February 28, and it places the 56-year-old cleric at the top of Iran’s political and religious system during a period of conflict involving the United States and Israel. Observers say the appointment signals that the Iranian leadership intends to continue the policies associated with the previous leadership.
Mojtaba Khamenei was born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad and is the second son of the former supreme leader. The 88-member Assembly of Experts formally selected him as the Islamic Republic’s new leader on March 8, slightly more than a week after hostilities escalated between Iran, the United States, and Israel. The assembly called on the Iranian public to support the leadership transition and maintain national cohesion.
Mojtaba has often been described as both enigmatic and highly influential within Iran’s political system. Although he has maintained a relatively low public profile, he is widely believed to have maintained close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful military organization that many observers believe holds significant influence within the country.
The announcement of his appointment prompted reactions from political leaders outside Iran. US President Donald Trump previously said appointing Khamenei’s son would be “unacceptable,” adding Iran’s new leader was bound not to “last long” should the appointment not be coordinated with Washington.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” US outlet Axios quoted Trump as saying.
Israel’s defense minister also commented on the succession process, stating that whoever replaced Ali Khamenei as supreme leader would be a “target for elimination.”
How Mojtaba Khamenei Built Influence Inside Iran’s Power Structure
Although Mojtaba Khamenei has never held formal public office, he is widely believed to possess substantial influence within Iran’s political hierarchy, particularly through connections with the IRGC. Reports suggest that officials first began noticing his growing role in the country’s internal power dynamics during the mid-1990s, when he was frequently seen alongside IRGC fighters and commanders who had returned from the Iran-Iraq war that lasted from 1980 to 1988.
His name became more widely discussed during Iran’s 2005 presidential election. Some experts have said Mojtaba played a role in helping Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then a relatively little-known political figure with ties to the IRGC, win the presidency. The outcome of that election reportedly weakened former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani politically, although Rafsanjani did not publicly challenge the situation.
Another presidential candidate, Mehdi Karroubi, did raise concerns at the time. Karroubi wrote an open letter accusing Mojtaba of interfering in the election and contributing to Ahmadinejad’s rise to power.
Similar accusations resurfaced four years later when Ahmadinejad was reelected in 2009. The result sparked widespread protests across Iran. During those demonstrations, some protesters who opposed the idea of Mojtaba succeeding his father as supreme leader chanted “death to Mojtaba.” During the same period, multiple reports suggested Mojtaba played an increasing role in suppressing the protest movement that became known as the “green movement.”
Reports About Mojtaba Khamenei’s Financial Interests
In addition to political influence, reports have also emerged regarding Mojtaba Khamenei’s alleged financial holdings. Government insiders have said that at least 60 percent of Iran’s economy is operated through holding companies and institutions associated with Ali Khamenei. These entities reportedly include organizations such as the Mostazafan Foundation, the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, and Astan Quds Razavi.
According to those reports, Mojtaba allegedly oversaw financial matters connected to these institutions.
A 2026 Bloomberg investigation reported that Mojtaba’s holdings include valuable real estate in London and Dubai as well as interests tied to shipping, banking, and hospitality assets in Europe. The investigation said these assets were typically not held directly in his name, but instead structured through intermediaries and corporate entities across multiple jurisdictions.
Early Life, Education, and Military Experience
Iranian state media portray Mojtaba Khamenei as someone who lives a modest lifestyle. After completing secondary school at Alavi School, he entered the seminary in the city of Qom, where he studied under several influential clerics.
During Mojtaba’s childhood, his father Ali Khamenei was becoming a prominent political and religious figure in opposition to the monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Mojtaba spent seven years in the cities of Sardasht and Mahabad in northwestern Iran, where he received his early education.
After finishing high school, Mojtaba joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1987. Later, in 1999, he continued his religious studies in Qom in pursuit of becoming a cleric.
Accounts published by sources close to the IRGC and Iran’s security institutions describe Mojtaba’s involvement during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. According to these recollections, he was around 17 years old when he went to the front lines and joined a battalion. Several members of that same battalion later became influential intelligence and security officials in the Islamic Republic, and many of them reportedly maintained close relationships with Mojtaba over the years.
Despite his growing influence within the country’s political system, many people in Iran — including his father Ali Khamenei — did not expect Mojtaba would eventually become the country’s supreme leader.
A Leadership Transition During Conflict
The selection of Mojtaba Khamenei by Iran’s Assembly of Experts marks a significant leadership transition for the Islamic Republic. The decision places a figure long associated with Iran’s internal power networks at the center of the country’s political system during a period of heightened regional tensions. As Iran continues navigating conflict with the United States and Israel, the leadership change represents a continuation of authority within the same political family that has shaped the country’s leadership for decades.
