56-year-old Moschtaba Khamenei.Image: tasnim news/wikimedia commons
March 8, 2026, 10:42 p.mMarch 8, 2026, 10:42 p.m
In Iran, in the middle of the war, the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was elected as the new religious and state leader. This was announced by the responsible electoral body, according to the Irna news agency and the state broadcaster Irib.
The 56-year-old Modshtaba Khamenei was appointed by the so-called Council of Experts, the country’s most important religious body. In this office he will have the final say in all political and military matters. US President Donald Trump recently made it clear that he rejected Moschtaba Khamenei as the new head of state. His father was killed in an Israeli air strike in Tehran on February 28th.
The expert council did not hesitate for a moment “despite the acute war situation and the direct threats from the enemies,” according to a statement from the committee published by Irna. The decision was made after “careful and comprehensive reviews”.
Length of term not specified
Iran’s supreme leader has so far been the unchallenged authority. It combines political power and religious legitimacy and ultimately determines the strategic direction of the state. According to the state ideology, its power is based on the so-called “Velajat-e Faghih”, the rule of an Islamic jurist.
He is commander in chief of the armed forces, appoints key positions in the judiciary and military and controls powerful bodies. There is no fixed term of office. Critics see the institution as a position of power that is barely controlled.
Influential but avoids the public
Modschtaba Khamenei has long been considered influential, but has hardly appeared in public in recent years. Only a few pictures of him are known. Many insiders in Iran have long speculated that he exercised great influence in his father’s shadow. Among other things, he is said to have managed affairs in the religious leader’s office in the background. However, exactly where he stands politically is largely unclear.
The 56-year-old is likely to continue his father’s relentless course for the time being. He is considered a familiar actor of state oppression, according to an analysis by the Atlantic Council think tank. He is said to have played a key role in suppressing the protests during the Green Movement in 2009, which arose after allegations of voter fraud in the presidential election.
Trump called Modshtaba Khamenei “unacceptable”
Trump made it clear a few days ago in a telephone conversation with the news portal Axios that he would not approve of the son of the killed Khamenei as the new head of state: “Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.” Modshtaba Khamenei is a “lightweight,” he said, according to Axios.
Even before the 56-year-old’s election was made public, Trump threatened Iran on Sunday if Washington was not included in the succession of the slain Iranian leader. The consent of the USA is needed, Trump told ABC News. “If he doesn’t get our approval, he won’t stay in office long.”
Childhood marked by revolution and war
Moschtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in the northeastern pilgrim city of Mashhad as the second son of the head of state Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the end of February. In his childhood he experienced turbulent years and the overthrow of the monarchy, which culminated in the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
At 18, he joined the Revolutionary Guard during the final years of the Iran-Iraq War. At this point, the country was scarred by war and large parts were destroyed. His father, who was still president at the time, had already positioned himself in the Iranian center of power.
Religious training in the spiritual center of Iran
Moschtaba Khamenei ultimately chose the path of Shiite theology and studied with conservative scholars in Qom, the spiritual center of Iran. Around 90,000 clergy live in the city, which is around 150 kilometers south of Tehran. He later began teaching there. A retired Iranian professor described him as “more contemporary” than his father. But he too is likely to see Israel as an archenemy.
He has the religious title of Hojatoleslam. Originally, the Iranian constitution required a higher rank, that of Grand Ayatollah, to be appointed supreme leader. His father’s election by the Council of Experts sparked controversy in 1989 because he lacked the highest Shia scholarly authority. A constitutional amendment lowered the requirements for the office. (sda/dpa)