Iran elected a new Supreme Leader on Sunday as Israel and the United States intensified their attacks against the country. Celebrations broke out in various parts of the war-hit country after Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei was formally announced as a successor to his father. His selection has already seen support from various groups within Iran — with the Revolutionary Guards and General Staff of the Armed Forces pledging support to Mojtaba Khamenei.

His appointment also comes mere hours after US President Donald Trump claimed that a new leader would not last long without American approval. The POTUS has insisted repeatedly in recent days that he expects to play a major role in the selection of Iranian leadership — while declining to clarify what form that could take. Trump has also decried alternatives to the Ayatollah regime (such as the exiled Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi) as being unsuitable.

“He’s going to have to get approval from us. If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday.

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba Khamenei is the 56-year-old second son of the late leader and wields significant influence behind the scenes. He is widely regarded as a powerful ‘gatekeeper’ within the office of the Supreme Leader and maintains close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He served in the Iranian armed forces during the Iran-Iraq War as a member of the IRGC and later moved to Qom to deepen his religious education. State-affiliated media had begun referring to him as ‘Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’ a few years ago — a clerical ‘promotion’ that many interpreted as a precursor to leadership roles. 

7 things to know about his appointment and current challenges

  • The Assembly of Experts met on Sunday ⁠to elect a new supreme leader despite threats that the body would be targeted. Israeli strikes had previously targeted the headquarters of the group and the US has insisted that any new leader of Iran would “not last long” without its approval.
  • Mojtaba Khamenei ascends to the top role at a critical time — as an influential figure in the shadows of power. He had reportedly coordinated military and intelligence operations within his father’s office. Khameneiis known to have very close ties to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and was considered their favoured candidate. But he is something of a mystery even within Iran and comes with no direct political experience.
  • The Islamic Revolution in 1979 had toppled a monarchy — promising to end hereditary transfer of power and return it to the people. According to reports, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had indicated to close advisers that he did not want his son to succeed him because he did not want the role to become hereditary.
  • His selection despite initial hesitance appears to suggest that people within the Iranian circles of power — senior clerics, the Guards and influential politicians — have closed ranks amid the crisis.
  • According to a New York Times report, a majority of senior clerics had pushed for his appointment during deliberations. Many within the Assembly of Experts argued that he already had the qualifications needed to steer Iran in this moment. Others insisted that choosing Mojtaba would honour the legacy of his father.
  • But the Ayatollah regime has left Iran deeply fragmented, and experts suggest that the appointment of a new Supreme Leader carries the risk of further polarising the population.
  • It also remains unclear how the US and Israel will view the appointment. Trump had raised the possibility of killing all potential leaders in Iran and destroying its military during a media interaction on Sunday.