Mojtaba Khamenei Becomes the New Supreme Leader of Iran

9 March 2026, 10:05

As expected, the son of the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, 56-year-old Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has become the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the state news agency Fars News Agency reports, citing the Assembly of Experts.

Mojtaba Khamenei is a Shiite cleric who enjoys enormous influence in Iran’s political and religious circles. For a long time he held key positions within the office of the Supreme Leader and closely cooperated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Assembly of Experts chose the Supreme Leader early in the morning on March 8. That the experts had reached an agreement was reported by council member Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri.

Despite making the choice, the secretariat of the Assembly of Experts did not immediately announce the successor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, who was killed after a strike by the United States and Israel.

Mojtaba Khamenei is the third Supreme Leader of Iran and has been appointed for life. According to Iran’s constitution, a candidate for the post of Supreme Leader may be either a politician or a religious figure, but must meet several requirements: he must be honest and pious, possess administrative abilities and a good reputation, profess the country’s official religion, and believe in the principles of the Islamic Republic.

The previous leaders of Iran were Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei. The former came to power after the overthrow of the shah during the Iranian Revolution. Khomeini led the revolutionary movement and enjoyed great popularity in the country. He died in 1989.

During Khomeini’s rule, Ali Khamenei — Iran’s second Supreme Leader — served as president of the country. At that time the presidency was largely ceremonial, since executive authority was mainly held by the prime minister.

Ali Khamenei became Supreme Leader in June 1989 and remained in the position for almost 37 years.

Several candidates were considered for the position of the new Supreme Leader. Among them was Khamenei’s confidant Alireza Arafi, who serves as vice-chairman of the Assembly of Experts. He also heads Iran’s system of religious educational institutions and was a member of the Guardian Council, which vets election candidates and legislation passed by parliament.

Another contender was Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri — a cleric and member of the Assembly of Experts representing the most conservative wing of the clergy. Also mentioned was Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Another possible leader was Hashem Hoseini Bushehri, a high-ranking cleric closely connected with institutions responsible for ensuring the continuity of power, particularly the Assembly of Experts, where he serves as first vice-chairman.

Among other potential candidates, experts also named Sadegh Larijani — the son of Ayatollah Hashem Amoli and the brother of Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

To see media content for this post, click here.

On September 23, 1723, as a result of the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, the Treaty of Saint Petersburg was signed between the Russian Empire and Persia

After the conclusion of the Northern War, Peter I sought to establish a strategic trade route to Europe through the Caspian Sea, aiming to connect Central and South Asia via Russia. Preparations for this ambitious Persian campaign began during the Northern War, with Russian hydrographers mapping the Caspian Sea’s shores between 1714 and 1720. Peter I’s plan involved Russian troops departing from Astrakhan to capture strategic locations like Derbent and Baku along the Caspian’s western coast, establish a fortress at the Kura River’s mouth, and assist Georgians against the Ottoman Empire. The campaign’s preparation centered around Kazan and Astrakhan. Upon arriving in Astrakhan on June 15, 1722, Peter decided to […]

23 September 2026, 8:02

NATO co-belligerence

NATO is, in fact, at war with Russia. In the previous post about the massive attack on Moscow (130 drones and missiles), we mentioned that constellation of Western satellites over Russia that played a major role in those bombardments. And on that same day, Zelensky was touting the success of the attack (in reality, more than 97% of its drones and missiles were repelled) as well as the quality of the Ukrainian drones and missiles launched at Moscow. But are these weapons fired against Russia really Ukrainian? Take the Flamingo FP-5, for example: a new 6-ton missile with a 1,150 kg payload and a claimed range of up to 3,000 […]

22 September 2026, 20:05