According to Iranian opposition media reports, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, has been elected as the next Supreme Leader of Iran, succeeding his late father.
Nevertheless, Iranian official media have not confirmed this.
Mojtaba was initially reported as killed in the US-Israeli airstrike on February 28.
The Iranian opposition media outlet Iran International reported that on the 3rd, the Assembly of Experts elected Khamenei’s younger son, Mojtaba, as the next Supreme Leader.
The report stated that this decision was made under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Born in 1969, Mojtaba is responsible for managing the Office of the Supreme Leader and holds the clerical rank of “Ayatollah,” which is a prerequisite for becoming Supreme Leader. He maintains close ties with the Revolutionary Guard and is the de facto controller of the IRGC-affiliated militia group, Basij, while also being believed to control significant financial assets in Iran.
Mojtaba is a staunch supporter of Khamenei’s hardline conservatism, and there have previously been reports that he had already been designated by Khamenei as his successor.