Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei who was killed in a US-Israeli military strike on February 28, as the Islamic Republic navigates one of the most serious crises in its history.
The decision was made by the Assembly of Experts — an 88-member body of clerics constitutionally responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader — and confirmed in a statement issued shortly after midnight Tehran time on Monday.
"By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the statement said.
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Mojtaba Khamenei is a mid-ranking cleric widely believed to hold significant influence within Iran's security establishment and the extensive economic networks built under his father's four-decade leadership.
He had long been considered a leading contender for the position, though his appointment — coming amid an active military conflict — marks an unusually turbulent transition of power for the Islamic Republic.
As Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei now holds ultimate authority over all matters of state in Iran, including the military, judiciary, and key political institutions.
The appointment has already drawn sharp reactions from Washington. Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, US President Donald Trump suggested the United States should have a say in Iran's leadership transition.
"If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long," Trump said.
Israel had also issued warnings ahead of the announcement, indicating that whoever assumed the Supreme Leader role could be targeted.
The backdrop to this leadership transition is an active and deadly military confrontation. Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 in one of the opening strikes of the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel alliance.
The US military reported on Sunday that a seventh American service member had died from injuries sustained during Iran's initial counter-attack the previous week. Trump had also overseen the return of the remains of six other American personnel killed in the conflict.
According to Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, the US-Israeli military campaign has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,332 Iranian civilians, with thousands more wounded.