Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been selected as Iran’s new supreme leader.
Members of the clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s highest authority announced the decision on Sunday following the death of the longtime leader.
The development could intensify geopolitical tensions, particularly as Donald Trump had previously indicated that Mojtaba Khamenei was the most likely successor and expressed strong opposition to such an outcome.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to the position marks the first time since the Iranian Revolution that Iran’s supreme leadership has effectively passed from father to son.
The move is expected to spark debate within Iran, as the Islamic Republic was founded to end hereditary rule after the overthrow of the shah. Critics argue that the succession could signal the emergence of a dynastic system in the country’s leadership.
