Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba was chosen by Iran's Assembly of Experts to succeed his late father as supreme leader, in a sign that hardliners were still firmly in charge. He has opposed reformers seeking to engage with the West as it tries to curb Iran's nuclear programme. The supreme leader has the final say on matters of state, including foreign policy and Iran's nuclear programme. Putin congratulates Iran's new supreme leaderRussian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly elected Supreme Leader of Iran, and reaffirmed Moscow's unwavering support and solidarity with Tehran, the Kremlin said. Mojtaba, the son of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was appointed as his successor by the 88-member Assembly of Experts, a body responsible for selecting the new supreme leader, Iranian state TV announced early Monday.

Source: The Telegraph March 09, 2026 10:51 UTC