LOADING ERROR LOADINGDUBAI, March 9 (Reuters) - Iran’s clerical leadership chose confrontation over compromise in appointing Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, a move regional officials say is a direct rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump, who had declared the son “unacceptable”. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike at the start of the conflict, now in its second week. “Having Mojtaba take over is the same playbook,” said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. NEW LEADER HAS LONG OPPOSED REFORMISTSA powerful mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba, 56, has long opposed reformist groups advocating engagement with the West. AdvertisementThe U.S. Treasury sanctioned Mojtaba in 2019, saying he represented the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never holding elected or formal government office.

Source: Huffington Post March 08, 2026 22:44 UTC