Breaking: Iran defies Trump, names Mojtaba Khamenei new Supreme Leader

Iranian state television announced on Sunday that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the country’s late supreme leader, has been named his successor.

Mojtaba Khamenei, who had long been seen as a contender for leadership, assumes the position despite never being elected or holding an official government post.

Mojtaba, born on 8 September 1969 in Mashhad, is the second of Ali Khamenei’s six children.

He received his secondary education at the religious Alavi School in Tehran, and at 17 served in the military during the Iran-Iraq War. In 1999, he continued his religious studies in Qom, a key center of Shia theology, and only then began wearing clerical clothing.

Unlike his father, Mojtaba has kept a low profile, never holding a government position or giving public speeches. Only limited photos and videos of him have been published. US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks in the late 2000s described him as “the power behind the robes,” a capable and forceful leader within the regime.

The announcement of his succession was made by the Assembly of Experts on state TV, which read a statement saying:

“Despite the acute wartime conditions and the direct threats of the enemies against this popular institution, and despite the bombing of the offices of the Secretariat of the Assembly of Experts, which resulted in the martyrdom of several staff members and members of its security team, did not pause even for a moment in the process of selecting and introducing the leadership of the Islamic system.”

The presenter then declared: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Khamenei is the leader.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, speaking in recent interviews with international media outlets including Axios and ABC News, had publicly rejected the idea of Mojtaba, who has never held public office, succeeding his father. Trump labelled him “unacceptable” and insisted that the United States should have a role in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader to help secure long‑term regional stability.

In the Axios interview, Trump described Mojtaba as “a lightweight” and said the U.S. would prefer a leader who “will bring harmony and peace to Iran.” He also warned that without a favourable choice, the region could face renewed conflict within years

The selection comes amid intense regional violence. US Central Command reported that a seventh US service member has died from injuries sustained during Iran’s initial attacks across the Middle East last week. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to nearly 400, and hospitals in southern Lebanon have received patients and bodies following attacks on villages. In Iran, residents described smoke and burning after oil depots were hit in Tehran.

Saudi Arabia also reported that a projectile struck a residential area north of Riyadh, killing two people, underscoring the growing regional instability.