Mojtaba Khamenei elected Iran’s new supreme leader after Ayatollah Khamenei’s death
Iranian authorities have confirmed a leadership transition at the top of the Islamic Republic.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son and widely seen heir of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been elected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, according to Iran International.
The 56-year-old cleric has long been regarded as a central figure within Iran’s power structure and is viewed as at least as hardline as his father.
Though rarely in the public spotlight, he is believed to exercise significant influence behind the scenes and maintains close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s most powerful military institution, as well as the Basij volunteer paramilitary force.
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It remains unclear how many clerics were inside the building at the time of the strike, but there are suggestions that senior figures involved in the succession process may have been killed.
Citing an Israeli defence official, Axios reported the strike occurred while votes were being counted.
“We wanted to prevent them from picking a new supreme leader,” the unnamed Israeli official said.
Iranian state media said: “The American-Zionist criminals attacked the Assembly of Experts building in Qom”.
More to come...
