DUBAI: Mojtaba Khamenei has surfaced as the leading candidate to succeed his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s next supreme leader.
The 56-year-old reportedly survived the recent US-Israeli air assault that killed his father along with several senior political and military figures. According to two Iranian sources cited by Reuters, Mojtaba was not in Tehran at the time of the strike that destroyed the supreme leader’s compound. The attack also claimed the lives of Khamenei’s wife, another son, and multiple top officials.
Amid continuing explosions in Tehran, uncertainty has surrounded funeral arrangements for the late leader. His body had been expected to lie in state at a major mosque in the capital from Wednesday evening, but state media later announced that the ceremony had been postponed.
The powerful Assembly of Experts, tasked with appointing the supreme leader, is said to be nearing a decision. Assembly member Ahmad Khatami told state television that members were “close to a conclusion” and would soon announce their choice, without disclosing any names.
Among other potential contenders is Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini. Hassan is associated with the reformist camp, which has been marginalised in recent years.
Born in 1969 in Mashhad, Mojtaba grew up during his father’s rise as a key opponent of the Shah. He later served during the Iran-Iraq war and pursued religious studies in Qom under conservative scholars. He holds the clerical rank of Hujjat al-Islam, one level below Ayatollah — the same rank his father held before assuming leadership.
Despite his influence behind the scenes and reputation as a gatekeeper to his father, critics argue that Mojtaba lacks the senior clerical standing traditionally associated with the supreme leadership. He has never held formal public office and rarely speaks publicly, though he has appeared at pro-government rallies.
In 2019, the US Treasury sanctioned Mojtaba, alleging he acted on behalf of the supreme leader in an official capacity despite not holding an elected or formally appointed government role beyond his work in his father’s office.
Meanwhile, Alireza Arafi has taken on a prominent role after being named to an interim three-member leadership council overseeing state affairs. He is serving alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei in the wake of Khamenei’s assassination.