Mojtaba Khamenei has been named as the new supreme leader of Iran, following an announcement by Iranian state media on Sunday. He is the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed recently.
The 56-year-old has been selected by the Assembly of Experts, a prestigious clerical body in Iran, just over a week after his 86-year-old father died in a joint US-Israeli military operation, known as Operation Epic Fury, targeting his residence in Tehran.
This operation also resulted in the deaths of approximately 40 other senior figures within Iran’s leadership.
Despite Mojtaba being a favored candidate to lead Iran’s influential Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, President Trump expressed skepticism earlier this week about his capability to take charge of the Iranian regime.
In a conversation with Axios on Thursday, the president remarked, “They are wasting their time,” in reference to those supporting Mojtaba’s leadership.
“Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump added.
“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,’’ he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
