Iran’s Assembly of Experts has overwhelmingly chosen Mojtaba Khamenei (1969), second son of the late Ali Khamenei, as its new supreme leader. The supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution, considered the highest political and religious authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is the supervisor of the armed forces, the judiciary, state television and other government institutions key to the functioning of the country.
The announcement was made public early on Monday in Vanak Square in Tehran, according to Iranian public television, IRIB, after the decision made by the Assembly of Experts.
Since the triumph of the revolution in Iran and its co-option by the ayatollahs, Iran has had only two supreme leaders: Ruhollah Khomeini (1979-1989) and Ali Khamenei (1989-2026) until the assassination of the latter in a joint attack by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Iranian state television confirmed the decision late last night, after his name had already been placed as one of the contenders for the position, despite the fact that he has never been part of the country’s institutions.
Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard answers only to the country’s supreme leader, placing Mojtaba Khamenei primarily responsible for war strategy from this moment on.
The Revolutionary Guard announced minutes later in a statement its loyalty to the new supreme leader: “The Guard as a powerful soldier and arm of the supreme leader is prepared to follow the orders of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei while supporting the Assembly election.”
Likewise, the director of the Iranian Police has also announced his obedience to the new supreme leader in another statement.
His profile, considered radical by analysts, sends a powerful signal that, for now, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention of changing course at the most turbulent moment in its 48-year history.
The election of Mojtaba Khamenei is a strong, although predictable, signal that the Iranian political power is not seeking an agreement with the United States. Trump has even stated in recent days that the worst possible scenario would be that Khamenei’s successor was “as bad as the last one.”
In fact, this Sunday he assured that the new supreme leader “will not last long” if he does not have his approval in an interview with the American television network ABC.
Following the announcement, the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, supported by Iran, shared on its Telegram channel a portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei accompanied by the text “Leader of the blessed Islamic revolution.”
Source: www.eldiario.es
