Kochi: Slain late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was selected as the new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts, Iran International reported.
He is the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei and has long been seen by observers as a potential successor.
His elevation comes after his father was killed in a wave of joint US-Israeli strikes, leading to an armed conflict in the Middle East.
The Islamic Republic has long criticised hereditary rule and portrayed itself as a more just alternative to monarchy.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pressurized the body of clerics to back Mojtaba.
The Supreme Leader sits at the heart of Iran’s complex power-sharing Shiite theocracy and is the final word.
The role also includes serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and IRGC designated a terrorist organisation by the United States in 2019.
Mojtaba to lead Iran
