Reports suggested that Ayatollah Khamenei's second-oldest son, Mojtaba Khamenei, took over as Iran's next Supreme Leader after his brutal killing in a joint strike by the United States and Israel. Reports began circulating after Israeli Media claimed that Mojtaba has been chosen as the successor to his father and will take over as Supreme Leader. Senior officials told Israeli Media that the Assembly is expected to formally announce Mojtaba Khamenei as successor in the coming hours. Israeli Media described Mojtaba as having a more hard-line position than his father and being behind the violent crackdowns on protesters in Iran. He was designated to represent the then Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position.

Source: dna March 04, 2026 09:47 UTC