Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed Iran's new supreme leader, a decision announced on the tenth day of the ongoing war. The move comes amid fresh missile and drone strikes across the Middle East, with Iranian institutions swiftly pledging allegiance.
US President Donald Trump had previously acknowledged Mojtaba Khamenei as the likely successor and called him an 'unacceptable' choice, raising concerns about further escalation. Trump stated that Iran's next supreme leader would 'not last long' without US approval, though he later said, 'We'll see what happens.'
Following the appointment, the Israeli military launched strikes targeting 'regime infrastructure' in central Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran and its proxies also conducted attacks, including rockets and drones intercepted near Baghdad's airport, a drone strike near Erbil, and an attack on Bahrain's Sitra island that wounded 32 people, including a child and a baby.
Yemen's Houthi rebels welcomed the appointment, while Iranian officials from the defence council to the speaker of parliament expressed support. The Revolutionary Guards declared readiness to follow the new leader, signalling broad institutional backing.
This marks the first father-to-son succession since the 1979 Islamic revolution, likely fuelling debate about dynastic rule in Iran. The Israeli military stated it would 'continue pursuing every successor' of the former leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli strike on 28 February.
