Iran’s Assembly of Experts has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the reported death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a development that could reshape the Islamic Republic’s power structure

The decision, announced by the powerful clerical body that holds constitutional authority to choose and supervise the Supreme Leader, followed an emergency closed-door session in Tehran. In a statement carried by state outlets, the Assembly said Mojtaba was selected in a decisive vote and urged the public to rally behind him as the new guardian of the Islamic Republic’s political and religious order

The statement called on citizens to maintain calm and unity, singling out senior clerics, academics and political elites as having a special responsibility to endorse the transition. It framed Mojtaba’s elevation as essential to preserving stability at a moment of heightened regional confrontation and domestic uncertainty

Mojtaba Khamenei, a mid-ranking cleric long believed to wield influence behind the scenes, has for years been the subject of speculation about succession. Analysts have pointed to his close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and his role in conservative networks as factors that positioned him as a leading contender, despite criticism that a hereditary succession would contradict the revolutionary ethos that toppled Iran’s monarchy

The leadership change follows the reported killing of Ali Khamenei in a joint United States and Israeli military operation targeting high-level command and leadership facilities in Tehran. The strike, which Iranian officials have condemned as an act of aggression and a violation of sovereignty, has further inflamed already severe tensions between Iran and its regional and Western adversaries

International reaction to Mojtaba’s appointment has been mixed. Critics abroad have questioned both the transparency of the process and the concentration of power within a single family, warning that the move could deepen Iran’s isolation. Supporters inside the establishment, however, portray the succession as a necessary continuity of the Islamic Republic’s ideological line and security doctrine

Before the Assembly’s announcement, former United States president Donald Trump publicly dismissed the idea of Mojtaba assuming the role, reportedly calling him a lightweight and arguing that he should have no say in Iran’s future leadership. Those remarks have been seized upon by hardliners in Tehran as evidence of foreign interference, reinforcing calls for unity around the new Supreme Leader