# Mojtaba Khamenei Mojtaba Khamenei (born September 8, 1969, Mashhad) has been Supreme Leader of Iran since **March 8, 2026**. He succeeded his father, [[Ali Khamenei]], who was killed in the opening strikes of **Operation Epic Fury** on February 28, 2026, the start of the [[Iran War 2026]]. ## Power behind the throne For nearly two decades Mojtaba worked inside his father's office as a *vakil* (representative) from 2008. He was widely seen as coordinating its military and intelligence relationships. Reformists blamed him for the crackdown on the 2009 [[Iranian Green Movement]] protests, and he is associated with directing the [[Basij]] militia in that period. In 2019 the U.S. [[Department of the Treasury]] sanctioned him for acting on the Supreme Leader's behalf "without ever being elected or appointed" and for working with the [[Quds Force]]. Clerically he is a *hojjatoleslam*, below the ayatollah rank traditionally expected of a Supreme Leader. ## The February 28 strikes The strike that killed his father also killed Mojtaba's wife, **Zahra Haddad-Adel**, one of his sisters, that sister's child and a brother-in-law. Mojtaba himself was wounded. [[Pete Hegseth]] described him as "wounded and likely disfigured." Unconfirmed reports said several of Ali Khamenei's grandchildren were also killed, but no reporting confirms the death of any of Mojtaba's own children. An earlier version of this page wrongly said his son was killed. ## A contested succession The Assembly of Experts met across sessions from March 3 to March 8. Officials announced a "unanimous" vote. *The New York Times* reported **59 of 88 votes**, just over the two-thirds threshold. Ali Larijani challenged the online voting as unconstitutional, and eight Assembly members said they would boycott a session over "heavy pressure" from the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]]. The IRGC lobbied members from March 3, and senior commanders pushed openly for Mojtaba. Reported language in Ali Khamenei's will opposed his son's succession. ## Rule so far He has not appeared in public or on video since his selection. His first message, on March 12, was written and promised "revenge for the martyrs"; reports on his health range from minor injuries to serious incapacity. By mid-2026 Iran International reported him consolidating control of the state. That included declining to reappoint judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and replacing officials with loyalists. ## Trump's counterparty Despite the strikes that killed his father and wife, [[Donald Trump]] described Mojtaba and the remaining Iranian leadership at the June 16, 2026 G7 as "very rational people" who are "not radicalized." Mojtaba is the Iranian counterparty to the [[Trump-Iran MOU 2026]], which collapsed in July when U.S. strikes and the [[CENTCOM]] naval blockade resumed (see [[Iran War 2026 Timeline]]). ## See Also - [[Ali Khamenei]] · [[Iran]] · [[Iranian History Hub]] - [[Iran War 2026]] · [[Trump-Iran MOU 2026]] · [[CENTCOM]] - [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] · [[Basij]] · [[Quds Force]]