Who is he? Why him?

In a climate of extreme instability following the death of Ali Khamenei, killed on February 28, 2026, by devastating strikes on Tehran, the Assembly of Experts appears to have taken a decisive step in appointing his successor.

According to statements by Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri, a general consensus has emerged within this key body, although technical and political « obstacles » remain, notably a procedural disagreement on the necessity of a formal physical meeting or a remote proclamation during a time of war.

Ayatollahs Mohsen Heidari Aleksir and Ahmad Alamolhoda confirmed that the choice fell on a figure of radical continuity: Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, son of the late Supreme Leader, who survived the initial strikes as he was not present in the capital when the American-Israeli offensive began.

Although he has never held an official ministerial post, Mojtaba is perceived as the true heir to his father’s hardline approach, wielding immense behind-the-scenes influence and maintaining unwavering ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Pasdaran), the regime’s military-industrial complex.

His appointment, if confirmed, would signify an increased militarization of religious power and an iron will to continue the confrontation with the Western coalition, disregarding internal criticism of the establishment of a religious « dynasty » unprecedented in the history of the Islamic Republic.

While the debris is still smoldering in Tehran, Iran’s fate seems to be decided in the secrecy of the Assembly’s deliberations, where the survival of the theocratic system now takes precedence over any other protocol consideration.