The US and Israel's assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has thrown the country's complex power dynamics into uncertainty. Amid the chaos, one name has surfaced as a potential successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son.
Despite not having much formal government experience, Mojtaba has long been regarded as the "power behind the robes" within the Islamic Republic, according to France 24.
With his father and wife killed in the Israeli air strike, Mojtaba's influence is likely to grow among the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body tasked with selecting Iran's next Supreme Leader. According to two Iranian sources who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, Mojtaba was not in Tehran when his father was killed.
As Iran navigates this critical juncture, the world watches closely. The next Supreme Leader will shape the country's future, influencing regional stability and global security.
The Assembly of Experts is set to announce its decision on the new Supreme Leader soon, a historic moment marking only the second time this has happened since the Islamic Republic's founding in 1979. Assembly member Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami revealed that candidates have been identified, but didn't disclose names.
Among the contenders are Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder, representing the reformist faction, and Mojtaba Khamenei, who has gained influence through the security forces and business empire, the Iranian sources told Reuters. Mojtaba's potential appointment would indicate hardliners' continued grip on power.
Who Is Zahra Haddad Adel?
Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly married Zahra Haddad-Adel in 2004. The couple has three children together, though not much information about them is available publicly.
Their marriage strengthened the ties between her father and the Khamenei family, cementing her husband's connections with Iran's political circles.
Zahra was the daughter of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, a prominent conservative politician and former Speaker of the Iranian Parliament.
Zahra was reportedly killed when the US and Israel struck Iran in a joint operation - the same airstrikes that reportedly killed her also claimed the life of her father-in-law, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
