Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in Mashhad. His childhood years went by during the period of the Islamic Revolution. At that time, his father was struggling against the Shah.
Even during his childhood, their home was raided by SAVAK (the Shah's secret police); his father was beaten. The children were told that "father is going on leave".
Later, during the Iran-Iraq war, when he was 17, Mojtaba volunteered on the frontline and reached the battlefield.
In later years, he remained influential in Iran's politics without holding any elected or formal government position. He never contested an election, and never became a minister. Yet, he was known to wield power behind the scenes.
In his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office, he worked like a chief adviser and gatekeeper by controlling access to his father and influencing decisions.
He had deep connections with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC and the Basij forces. In 2019, the US imposed sanctions on him because he worked informally on behalf of his father, especially on regional matters involving proxy forces and domestic protest suppression.
He was clearly seen to be a hardliner, as evident from his role in supporting other hardliners like Ahmadinejad during the 2005 and 2009 elections. His influence over political decisions, security, intelligence, and religious institutions was deep, but he rarely appeared in public. He was essentially a shadow power broker.
US President Donald Trump and Israel had already stated they would not accept Mojtaba, which could further escalate tensions. Iran appointed him Supreme Leader indicating it does not fear the US or Israel and won't act according to their wishes.
The father assumed the role of Supreme Leader at age 50, while the son took on this responsibility at 56.
The Islamic republic's third Supreme Leader also received endorsements from President Masoud Pezeshkian, the armed forces and the judiciary within hours of his appointment. Because of his discretion at official ceremonies and in the media, Mojtaba's true influence has been the subject of intense speculation for years among the Iranian population as well as in diplomatic circles.
He was named supreme leader by Iran's top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, in a statement published shortly after midnight on Monday.
