Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as the new supreme leader of Iran, according to Iranian state media.

The leadership change comes at a very difficult time for the country. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an attack on the first day of a war involving the United States and Israel. Reports say the attack targeted his compound in Tehran.

Mojtaba Khamenei is 56 years old. Reports also say that his mother, wife, and one of his sisters were killed in the same strike. Mojtaba was not at the location during the attack and survived.

How was Mojtaba Khamenei chosen?

Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 clerics responsible for choosing the country’s supreme leader, announced his selection. The assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen through a decisive vote and asked Iranians to stay united and support the new leader.

The group also called on scholars, religious figures, and university experts to show loyalty and help keep the country together during the crisis.

A powerful figure behind the scenes

Mojtaba Khamenei has never run for public office and has never been chosen by a public vote. Even so, he has been seen for years as an important figure close to his father.

For a long time, he worked quietly inside Iran’s political and religious system. He also built strong ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, one of the most powerful military forces in Iran.

In recent years, many people believed he could become the next supreme leader if his father stepped down or died.

The supreme leader is the most powerful person in Iran. This role has control over the military, major state decisions, and many key parts of the government.

Why do many people know little about him?

Unlike many well-known Iranian clerics, Mojtaba Khamenei rarely appears in public. He does not usually give speeches, public lectures, or Friday sermons.

Because of this, many people in Iran know his name but have never heard his voice. He has mostly stayed away from public attention while gaining influence inside the system.

Some critics say his rise could look like a family-style transfer of power, similar to a monarchy. That is a sensitive issue in Iran because the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended royal rule.

Accusations from opponents

Over the past two decades, some political opponents have accused Mojtaba Khamenei of having a role in the suppression of protests in Iran.

During the 2009 Green Movement protests, reformist groups claimed he had influence over the Basij forces, a paramilitary group linked to the IRGC. They said the group helped stop demonstrations after a disputed presidential election.

Iran’s government has denied such accusations and says violent groups backed by foreign countries were behind unrest during protests.

His background and early years

Mojtaba Khamenei built close ties with members of the IRGC from a young age. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, he reportedly served in the Habib Battalion during several operations.

Some of the men who served with him later became important figures in Iran’s security and intelligence bodies.

Western governments have also placed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei. Some reports claim he controls large financial assets through business networks connected to powerful figures in Iran. He has not publicly confirmed these claims.

Questions about his religious rank

Mojtaba Khamenei is known as a hojatoleslam, which is a mid-level cleric rank in Iran’s religious system. Some critics say the country’s supreme leader should have a higher religious rank, such as ayatollah.

However, his father also did not hold the ayatollah title when he became supreme leader in 1989. At that time, Iran’s laws were changed to allow him to take the role. A similar step could happen again if needed.

What happens next in Iran?

Iran is now facing heavy attacks and a serious security crisis. Authorities have also restricted internet access across the country, making it harder for information to move freely.

Because of the ongoing conflict, it is still unclear how and when Iran will officially present its new leadership to the public.

For now, Mojtaba Khamenei has stepped into one of the most powerful and sensitive roles in the Middle East while Iran faces war, uncertainty, and growing tension.