Mojtaba Khamenei Appointed Iran's New Supreme Leader Amid Regional Turmoil

Iran - Ekhbary News Agency

Mojtaba Khamenei Succeeds Father as Iran's Supreme Leader Amid Regional Unrest

In a pivotal political and religious development, reports indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been appointed to the highest office in the Islamic Republic of Iran, succeeding his father. This appointment, officially announced on March 8, places a prominent religious figure, known for his proximity to conservative circles, at the helm of the nation's power structure, at a time when Iran faces increasing regional and international pressures.

Mojtaba Khamenei, aged 56, is widely regarded as one of the most influential personalities within the Iranian establishment. He is known for his close ties to the Revolutionary Guards, a powerful security and military organization that plays a pivotal role in the country's policies. The selection of the new Supreme Leader was made by the Assembly of Experts, a body composed of senior clerics responsible for electing and overseeing the Supreme Leader. This choice underscores the continuity of religious and political influence within the ruling establishment.

This development follows the death of the former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28, reportedly due to a U.S.-Israeli offensive targeting senior Iranian officials. Ali Khamenei had held the position of Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. His tenure, spanning over three decades, marked a critical period in modern Iranian history, characterized by significant political and economic shifts, as well as Iran's expanding regional and international role.

The religious body responsible, the Assembly of Experts, confirmed in a statement relayed by official Iranian media: "Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei... is appointed and presented as the third Supreme Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on a decisive vote by the esteemed members of the Assembly of Experts." The institution further urged, "the entire noble nation of Iran, particularly the elites and intellectuals of seminaries and universities, to pledge allegiance to the Leader and maintain unity around him."

The news was solemnly announced on state television, with an anchor reading the official communiqué from the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member body tasked with designating the new Supreme Leader. Images of Mojtaba Khamenei were displayed on screen. Subsequently, scenes of jubilation were broadcast nationwide, showing Iranians waving the Islamic Republic's flags or using their mobile phone lights at night.

Shortly after the official announcement, the Revolutionary Guards issued a statement declaring their allegiance to the new leader. The corps stated, "We support the choice of the honorable Assembly of Experts and are ready for total obedience and self-sacrifice to fulfill the divine commands" of Mojtaba Khamenei. The armed forces and police also pledged allegiance. In a related regional development, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Tehran, also welcomed his appointment, signaling the continuation of regional alliances.

Mojtaba Khamenei's name had been circulating for about a week as a potential candidate for this high office, which traditionally requires the holder to be a cleric. This appointment sparks some irony, given that the 1979 Islamic Revolution ended centuries of hereditary monarchy in Iran. While the Supreme Leader is appointed for life, questions linger about the stability of this position amidst current circumstances.

In international reactions, Israel announced on Wednesday that the new Supreme Leader would be a "target," indicating the ongoing animosity between the two nations. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, on Sunday, warned that the new Iranian Supreme Leader "will not last long" without his approval, even before the official announcement of his name. Trump had previously described Mojtaba Khamenei as a "lightweight" and expressed his disapproval of him taking the position.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi reaffirmed that the choice of Ali Khamenei's successor rests with "the Iranian people" and "no one else." This designation occurs while Iran, still facing intense strikes, asserts its readiness for "at least six months of war," disregarding calls for "unconditional surrender" from Donald Trump. The U.S. President has alluded to a potential future deployment of ground troops to Iran to control the country's enriched uranium stockpiles.

On Sunday afternoon, explosions were heard in the capital, Tehran, which had been plunged into darkness earlier in the day amid a black haze, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists. The Israeli military declared it had struck "several" fuel tanks used to power military infrastructure, later announcing an attack on the aerospace force headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, the elite force of the Islamic Republic. This marks the first reported attack on Iranian oil infrastructure since February 28.

Security forces, clad in protective gear against toxic fallout and wearing respiratory masks, were seen managing traffic in the vicinity. Residential building windows nearby were shattered by the explosions. Gasoline distribution has been restricted to 20 liters per vehicle, with long queues forming at Tehran's service stations, as observed by AFP on Sunday, the first day of work after a week-long holiday declared following Ali Khamenei's death.

"The air has become unbreathable," testified a resident contacted by phone from Paris. "The war is expanding. This is not what we wanted. We didn't want them to bomb our national wealth to make us poorer than we already are." According to the latest figures from Iran's Ministry of Health, over 1,200 people have been killed and more than 10,000 civilians injured, claims that AFP could not independently verify.

Concurrently, in Lebanon, fierce fighting raged overnight Sunday into Monday in the eastern part of the country near the Syrian border, where Israeli troops landed by helicopter. The death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah stands at 394, with approximately 517,000 displaced, according to Lebanese authorities. The United States, for its part, announced the death of a seventh American soldier killed in Iranian strikes in the Gulf on March 1. Since the start of the war, in retaliation for bombings, Iran has been firing missiles and drones at infrastructure in the Gulf, which is rich in hydrocarbons and hosts several U.S. military bases.

The conflict is paralyzing a significant portion of hydrocarbon flows from the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz is at the center of concerns, with approximately 20% of the world's oil production and nearly 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) typically transiting through it. Oil prices surpassed $100 per barrel on Monday, reaching their highest level since the summer of 2022.

Ekhbary News Agency