The Council of Experts of Iran confirmed the information about the election of the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.
Iran's ruling council (Council of Experts) has announced Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the new supreme leader of the country. This was stated in a declaration by the state body published shortly after midnight on Monday, March 9, local time.
Information that the Council of Experts had already made a decision to appoint a new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic appeared in the media, citing several council members, on the morning of March 8, a week after the killing of Ali Khamenei by the U.S. and Israel during a military operation; however, who exactly would become his successor was not disclosed.
A few days earlier, on March 3, sources in the country, wishing to remain anonymous, told DW that 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei had been appointed as the new supreme leader of Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reiterated on March 8 in their X microblog their promise to pursue anyone who becomes the successor to Ali Khamenei as the supreme leader of Iran.
Trump: Without U.S. approval, the new leader of Iran "won't last long"
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the same day that the new supreme leader of Iran "won't last long" if Tehran does not first receive approval from the White House. "If he doesn't get our approval, he won't last long. We want to make sure we don't have to revisit this issue every 10 years," Trump’s words were reported by ABC News. "I don't want to be back to this issue in five years and have to do the same thing or, worse yet, allow them (the Iranian authorities - Ed.) to acquire nuclear weapons."
Earlier, Trump had stated that he was against Mojtaba Khamenei coming to power in Iran and intended to personally participate in the selection of the new leader of the country. "They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a nobody. I need to be involved in the appointment, just like with Delcy (the acting president of Venezuela after the ousting of Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez - Ed.) in Venezuela," the American leader indicated in an interview with Axios on March 5.
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the appointment of a new supreme leader of Iran
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led the Islamic Republic since 1989, was killed on February 28, at the beginning of the war between Israel and the U.S. and Iran.
The spiritual leader of the country, who holds this position for life, is appointed by members of the so-called Council of Experts. This state body, which consists of 88 individuals considered experts in Islamic law, is elected by the citizens of Iran every eight years.
