Mon Nov 18 15:34:51 UTC 2024: ## Iran’s Supreme Leader’s Son, Mojtaba Khamenei, Reportedly Chosen as Successor
**Tehran, Iran** – Iranian news outlet Iran International is reporting that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of ailing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been secretly chosen as his successor. The decision, reportedly made during a clandestine meeting of 60 top Iranian officials, follows months of speculation surrounding the 85-year-old Khamenei’s deteriorating health.
The report states that Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection was made in a unanimous vote, with pressure allegedly exerted by the Supreme Leader and his representatives. The secrecy surrounding the decision, according to Iran International, is aimed at avoiding public backlash. The Iranian government has yet to officially comment on the report.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who received the title of Ayatollah in 2021, rarely appears in public. However, he has been a significant figure in Iranian politics since the 2009 elections. He is known to have close ties to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and was allegedly instrumental in Ahmadinejad’s election victories in 2005 and 2009. Reports also suggest he played a key role in suppressing the subsequent protests against Ahmadinejad’s government. There have also been accusations of misuse of state funds leveled against him.
The reports of Mojtaba Khamenei’s succession come after the death of former Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, which further intensified discussions about Khamenei’s successor. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, succeeding Ruhollah Khomeini.
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