DW sources reported that Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba has been selected as Iran's new Supreme Leader. According to them, this decision was made under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Officially, this information has not been confirmed.
The son of the deceased Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba, has been selected as Supreme Leader. DW sources in the Islamic Republic report that such a decision was made by a council consisting of 88 members of the senior clergy.
So far, Iranian officials and state media have not officially confirmed this information. According to DW sources, the decision to select Mojtaba Khamenei was made under pressure from the IRGC.
After the death of Ali Khamenei, Iran is temporarily being governed by a council of three people: President Masoud Pezeshkian, Head of the Judiciary Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and member of the Guardian Council Alireza Arafi.
Ali Khamenei had been ruling Iran since 1989. He was killed during the military operation by Israel and the USA that began on February 28 against the Islamic Republic.
The Supreme Leader, considered the highest position in the country, is appointed by members of a body called the "Assembly of Experts" in Iran. This state body consists of 88 people considered specialists in the field of Islamic law. It is elected by Iranian citizens once every eight years. The last elections were held in 2024.
Israel and the USA began strikes on Iranian territory on the morning of February 28. US President Donald Trump stated the intention to eliminate the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. He called on the Iranian army to lay down its arms and the country's population to "take its destiny into its own hands."
According to the Iranian state media on March 3, at least 787 people were killed in the country as a result of the strikes. Iran responded by striking Israel and several countries in the Persian Gulf — there are also casualties there. Tehran emphasizes that it is not at war with Arab states and says it is striking US military bases in the region.
