Profile: Mojtaba Khamenei — Iran's New Supreme Leader With Deep IRGC Ties

Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, born in 1969 in Mashhad, has emerged as Iran's new supreme leader following the death of his father Ali Khamenei in an Israeli airstrike. A hardline cleric who long wielded behind-the-scenes influence through the Office of the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba served with IRGC-connected forces during the Iran-Iraq War and built deep ties within Iran's security establishment. His election by the Assembly of Experts marks an unprecedented father-to-son transfer of power at the Islamic Republic's highest level — an ironic departure for a revolutionary system founded on anti-monarchical principles. Security analysts note his role as gatekeeper to sensitive state operations positions him to continue hardline policies amid the ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States.