Iran names Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as new supreme leader: state media

Iran appoints Mojtaba Khamenei as new supreme leader, succeeding his father amid tensions with the U.S. and Israel.

Iran’s ‌Assembly of Experts has named ​Mojtaba Khamenei ⁠to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ‌as the country’s new supreme ‌leader, state ‌media reported ⁠on Sunday (March 8, 2026).

Mr. Mojtaba, a ⁠mid-ranking cleric with close ties to the powerful ​Revolutionary ‌Guards, had long been viewed by elements of Iran’s ruling ‌establishment as a ​potential successor to his father, who ⁠was killed after the United ‌States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

His wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, daughter of a former speaker of parliament, also died in the U.S.-Israeli strikes according to Iranian authorities.

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Although Iran’s ruling ideology frowns on the principle ‌of hereditary succession, he ​has a powerful following within ⁠the Guards and his dead ⁠father’s still-influential office. 

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, “is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts”, the clerical body said in a statement.