Olushola Omogbehin
Following the recent killing of Iran Leader, Ali Khamenei, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei has succeeded his father as the new Supreme Leader of Iran.
The was disclosed on Sunday by the Assembly of Experts which is the clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for selecting the country’s supreme leader.
According to the Assembly as reported by the state media, Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen after what it described as a “decisive vote.” It called on citizens to remain united and support the new leader.
In the appointment, coming after Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 during a joint military operation by the United States and Israel targeting leadership sites in Tehran, the Assembly urged Iranians to cooperate with the new leader.
“Especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities,” to pledge allegiance to the leadership and help preserve national unity.
A mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei is said to maintain strong ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has long been regarded as an influential figure behind the scenes in the Islamic Republic’s political structure.
Earlier, Donald Trump who has indicated interested in knowing who becomes the new leader in the country publicly opposed the prospect of Mojtaba as he reportedly described him as a “lightweight.”
However, Iran’s constitution empowers the Assembly of Experts to appoint the Supreme Leader, the highest political and religious authority in the country, with ultimate control over state policy, the military and the judiciary.
