Mojtaba Khamenei has been appointed Iran’s new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, in a decision announced by the powerful clerical body responsible for choosing the country’s highest authority.
Members of the Assembly of Experts confirmed the appointment on Sunday, saying it was reached through what they described as a “decisive vote.”
In a statement carried by state media, the body called on citizens across Iran to rally behind the new leadership and preserve national unity at a sensitive time for the country.
The clerical assembly urged Iranians, “especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities,” to pledge allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei and safeguard national unity during what it described as a critical moment for the Islamic Republic.
The development follows the death of Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly four decades before he was killed in a strike on Tehran during the early days of the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
His son’s elevation marks the first time since the Iranian Revolution that the country’s supreme leadership has effectively passed from father to son.
Reacting to the development, US President Donald Trump had earlier described Mojtaba Khamenei as an “unacceptable” choice.
Speaking in an interview with The Times of Israel, Trump was quoted as saying, “We’ll see what happens,” while also warning that Iran’s next supreme leader was “not going to last long” if Tehran did not first secure his approval.
Trump also claimed that Iran posed a grave threat to Israel, saying: “Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it… We’ve worked together.
“We’ve destroyed a country that wanted to destroy Israel,” referring to cooperation between Washington and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The appointment was welcomed by Iran’s allies in the region. The Iran-backed Houthi movement congratulated the Iranian leadership and people, describing the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as “a new victory for the Islamic Revolution and a resounding blow to the enemies of the Islamic Republic.”