Iran gets new supreme leader as Mojtaba Khamenei takes over after father’s death

Tehran (The Uttam Hindu): Following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the country has found a new leader. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been appointed Iran's new Supreme Leader. The Iranian president said that Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment marks the beginning of a "new era of dignity and power."

According to media reports, Masoud Pezeshkian has welcomed the election of a new Supreme Leader by the Iranian Assembly of Experts. He said that the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei marks the beginning of a "new era of dignity and strength" for the country. "This important election is a testament to the Islamic country's desire to strengthen national unity; a unity that, like a strong deterrent, has enabled Iran to counter the machinations of its enemies," Pezeshkian said in a statement, according to the agency.

Mojtaba is a powerful figure in Iran's security forces. He is said to have run a large business network under his father, Ayatollah Khamenei. He was considered a frontrunner by the Assembly of Experts ahead of Sunday's vote. The Assembly is a body of 88 clerics tasked with choosing Ali Khamenei's successor.

"The Assembly of Experts, by a crucial vote, has appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran," a statement issued by the assembly said. This position gives Mojtaba the final say on all matters of the country. Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has long been considered a powerful figure in the country's political and religious establishment. However, he has never held elected office or publicly campaigned for leadership.

Mojtaba has worked closely with the former Supreme Leader for decades, yet he has largely remained out of the public eye. Throughout his father's leadership, Mojtaba Khamenei was believed to wield considerable influence behind the scenes, particularly within the Supreme Leader's office and conservative political networks.

Several names have emerged in the race to elect Iran's next Supreme Leader. While Mojtaba's name had been discussed since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several other names have subsequently emerged in the race.

Apart from Mojtaba, the names of Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Mir Bagheri, Hassan Khomeini, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi were in the race.