Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Khamenei, elected Iran's Supreme Leader
PTC News Desk: Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei, has reportedly been elected as Iran’s new Supreme Leader. According to reports, he was selected by the country’s Assembly of Experts as the successor.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who had led Iran for 36 years, was killed on February 28 during joint US-Israeli airstrikes while he was at his residential compound. The strikes also claimed the lives of his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. His wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, later died from injuries sustained in the attack.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Telegram that Khamenei will be buried in the holy city of Mashhad, and a large farewell ceremony will be held in Tehran. The burial date has not yet been made public.
Before a successor was chosen, a three-member interim Leadership Council — comprising Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei — temporarily assumed the Supreme Leader’s duties.
The joint US-Israel offensive, reportedly named “Operation Epic Fury,” followed stalled nuclear negotiations and allegations that Iran had resumed nuclear activities. The strikes targeted multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, and reportedly resulted in more than 700 deaths.
Within hours of the attack, Iran retaliated by launching missiles, some of which reportedly struck areas in the Gulf region, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Bahrain. Regional tensions escalated further as Iran vowed revenge for the killing of its Supreme Leader, while US President Donald Trump said it was “too late” for Tehran to pursue talks to avoid war. Subsequent exchanges saw drones and missiles hitting oil facilities and US diplomatic missions in the Gulf, while Israel expanded ground operations into Lebanon against Hezbollah, which had entered the conflict in support of Iran.
- With inputs from agencies
