What to Know About Mojtaba Khamenei, Son of Ali Khamenei

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mojtaba Khamenei, the second-eldest son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been chosen to succeed his father. Iranian state media said the country’s Assembly of Experts selected him to become the next leader of the Islamic Republic.

His appointment comes at a tense moment for the country, as Iran faces an escalating conflict with a combined U.S. and Israeli military campaign that many analysts say is aimed at forcing regime change.

Mojtaba Khamenei had long been viewed as one of the possible successors to his father. However, analysts have frequently pointed to his relatively limited religious credentials and concerns within the regime about creating a dynastic succession as potential obstacles to his rise, according to ABC News. 

Mojtaba Khamenei’s Limited Public Political Profiles

Born in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad in 1969, Mojtaba Khamenei grew up during a transformative period in the country’s history. 

During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Mojtaba Khamenei served in the military as a member of the elite Habib ibn Mazahir al-Asadi Battalion. The younger Khamenei has not been seen or heard from publicly since the current war began. 

Despite maintaining a relatively low public profile, analysts have long described Mojtaba Khamenei as an influential figure within Iran’s political system. Many say he has operated largely behind the scenes while wielding significant power within key political and security circles.

Support for his appointment has also emerged from senior figures within the Iranian establishment. According to Iranian state television, top security official Ali Larijani praised the Assembly of Experts for convening “courageously” amid continued airstrikes in Tehran, as per NBC News. 

Larijani added that Mojtaba Khamenei had been closely mentored by his father and was prepared to lead during the crisis. “He can handle this situation,” Larijani said during the broadcast.

The new leader has also received backing from prominent lawmakers. Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei in a statement shared on X on Sunday, praising the decision to appoint him to the country’s top position.

Mojtaba Khamenei has been Trained since 2023 

In 1999, Mojtaba Khamenei moved to the holy city of Qom, located south of Tehran, where he began pursuing a religious path. During his time there, he became a cleric and also worked as a religious teacher.

After completing his studies in Qom, Mojtaba later returned to Tehran and took on a role within the Office of the Supreme Leader. A 2023 report by the Chatham House think tank, written by Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi, detailed his growing responsibilities within the institution, ABC News added.

According to the report, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gradually began preparing his son for a larger leadership role. “Over time, Khamenei, the elder, would train his son to lead his office,” the authors wrote. 

Trump’s Opposition to Mojtaba Khamenei

U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced strong opposition to Mojtaba Khamenei becoming Iran’s next supreme leader. Speaking to Axios last week, Trump described the possibility as “unacceptable” and suggested he wanted a role in determining who would ultimately lead the country.

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment,” Trump said. “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me.” He warned that any new leader selected without consulting Washington “is not going to last long.”

Read: Who Is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's New Supreme Leader?

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