Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed as Iran’s new supreme leader, according to state media reports.
The 56-year-old was announced as his father’s successor on Sunday after a vote by the Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics responsible for appointing Iran’s highest authority.
Khamenei was killed last Saturday in US and Israeli strikes on Iran. He had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.
Khamenei death triggered intense speculation over who would succeed him, with Mojtaba widely considered one of the frontrunners despite concerns within Iran’s political and religious establishment about the possibility of hereditary leadership.
Mojtaba, a mid-ranking cleric believed to have strong ties to Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has long wielded significant influence behind the scenes in the Islamic Republic’s political system.
Before the announcement, Donald Trump had publicly opposed the prospect of Mojtaba becoming Iran’s leader, reportedly describing him as a “lightweight” and suggesting he should not be allowed to play a role in determining the country’s leadership.
Iran’s constitution assigns the Assembly of Experts the responsibility of selecting the country’s supreme leader, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic, with ultimate control over state policy, the military and the judiciary.
Mojtaba’s selection marks one of the most consequential political transitions in Iran in decades and comes amid ongoing regional tensions following the killing of his father.