The Islamic Republic of Iran has appointed a new supreme leader to succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in US-Israeli airstrikes. The Assembly of Experts, the religious body responsible for this appointment and composed of clerics, selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the deceased leader. The 56-year-old, known for his low profile, thus becomes the highest political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic, amidst open warfare and escalating internal tensions.
Long considered one of the most influential yet also most opaque figures in the Iranian system, Mojtaba Khamenei never held an official government position. Educated in the religious seminaries of Qom, he is believed to have wielded significant influence behind the scenes, particularly through his ties to the Revolutionary Guard and certain conservative networks. His appointment by the Assembly of Experts, while presented as constitutional, reinforces criticism of the quasi-dynastic nature of a regime that emerged from the 1979 revolution.
This appointment comes at a time of extreme instability for the Islamic Republic, whose downfall is now being demanded by numerous countries, including the United States and Israel, with the support of a significant portion of the Iranian population and diaspora. The country is facing a regional war, massive economic sanctions, and recurring internal dissent that has persisted for several years.
