Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of long-time ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s next supreme leader and top religious authority, according to Iranian officials.
The announcement comes after Ayatollah Khamenei was reported killed in attacks attributed to the United States and Israel. Amid the fallout, Israel is said to be continuing strikes on oil storage facilities in Tehran.
Iranian officials said senior clerics selected Mojtaba as Khamenei’s successor. Former US President Donald Trump was quoted as saying he would not accept Mojtaba as Iran’s new ruler and that the choice should be made with his approval.
Mojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in Mashhad. While he has not held any formal government post, he is described as having exercised influence from behind the scenes.
He reportedly fought alongside Iran’s armed forces during the Iran–Iraq war. The report also notes that the US Treasury imposed sanctions on him in 2019.
