Mojtaba Khamenei has assumed power as Iran’s supreme leader at a time when the country faces one of its most serious crises in decades, following the assassination of his father Ali Khamenei during the initial phase of the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, becomes the third supreme leader since the Iranian Revolution. His appointment by the Assembly of Experts comes as the Islamic Republic confronts mounting military pressure and internal divisions.
Supporters of the clerical establishment quickly took to the streets to celebrate the decision, chanting religious slogans and pledging loyalty to the new leader. Security forces also vowed to defend the leadership and the political system.
Iranian state television broadcast footage of missiles launched during the conflict bearing messages dedicated to Mojtaba Khamenei, symbolising the military’s support for the new commander-in-chief.
However, not all reactions inside the country have been supportive. Some Iranians who had previously joined protests against the late leader voiced opposition, with reports of anti-government chants directed at Mojtaba Khamenei in parts of Tehran.
Analysts say Mojtaba Khamenei is widely seen as a continuation of his father’s hardline approach to governance. The cleric spent decades working closely with his father and is believed to have gained deep insight into the workings of Iran’s security and political institutions.
He is also considered closely aligned with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was created after the 1979 revolution to protect the Islamic Republic and now wields extensive political, military and economic influence.
Mojtaba reportedly joined the IRGC as a teenager before pursuing religious studies in the city of Qom.
The new leader’s rise to power comes amid an intensely personal and political conflict. In the Israeli strike on the supreme leader’s compound, Mojtaba reportedly lost several family members, including his mother Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel and a son.
Reports also suggested that Mojtaba himself may have been injured in the attack, although Iranian authorities have not provided details and he has not appeared publicly since the strike.
His leadership has already drawn sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, who earlier described Mojtaba Khamenei as “unacceptable” and warned that he might not remain in power for long.
Israeli officials have also issued threats against Iran’s new leadership, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying that any successor to the late supreme leader would remain a potential target.
Despite the hardline image surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei, some figures close to him have suggested he could pursue a different approach. Iranian political figure Abdolreza Davari has described him as “progressive” and compared him to Mohammed bin Salman, who expanded certain social freedoms while maintaining firm political control.
However, analysts say there are currently few signs of such reforms, particularly as Iran remains deeply entangled in a widening regional conflict that has strained relations across the Middle East and triggered global economic concerns.
Observers note that Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership will now be defined by whether he can navigate the war and maintain control over Iran’s political system during what many describe as an existential moment for the Islamic Republic.
With inputs from BBC