Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A photo taken in Tehran in October 2024 and released by the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran; on March 8, 2026 (local time), the Assembly of Experts of Iran announced that it had elected him as the new Supreme Leader. AFP Yonhap News

Reuters and AFP reported on the 8th (local time) that the Assembly of Experts, the Iranian constitutional body, elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as the next Supreme Leader.

“After careful and extensive review, at the extraordinary session held today we appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran through a decisive vote by the representatives” the Assembly of Experts said in a statement.

Khamenei died on the 28th of last month in airstrikes by the United States and Israel. Since then, the Assembly of Experts, the constitutional body that selects the Supreme Leader, has been convened in Iran to discuss the succession framework.

Mojtaba, 56, is the second son of Khamenei; although he has never held an official position, he has long wielded considerable influence behind the scenes. He is known to have maintained close relations for decades with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the paramilitary Basij militia, building an extensive network across the chain of command. In 2019, the United States placed him under sanctions, judging that he had been delegated and exercising part of the authority of the Supreme Leader.

Although Mojtaba had long been mentioned as a leading candidate for the next Supreme Leader, he also faced criticism over questions of legitimacy due to controversy about dynastic succession and a lack of experience in public office. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, established after overthrowing the Pahlavi monarchy, patrilineal succession is effectively taboo.