Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as the new supreme leader of Iran, according to state media reports released Sunday. His selection by the Assembly of Experts — the clerical body tasked under Iranian law with appointing the country’s highest authority — makes him the third leader of the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
The decision follows the death of Ali Khamenei during recent U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran that also reportedly killed several members of his family, including Mojtaba’s wife. Despite never holding elected office, Mojtaba Khamenei has spent years operating inside his father’s inner circle, quietly building influence within Iran’s political and security institutions — particularly the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. After the strikes, it was reported that he was alive and had taken on a leadership role in the aftermath, “overseeing matters related to the martyrs of the family, managing affairs, and providing consultation and review on important national issues.”
Within Iran, the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei may prove controversial as he is believed to wield significant influence among government officials and security leaders, but he lacks the high-level clerical credentials traditionally associated with the position. Additionally, a father-to-son transition is sensitive in Iran, where hereditary rule is widely viewed with suspicion after the 1979 overthrow of the U.S.-backed monarchy led by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
President Trump told Axios last week that the prospect of Mojtaba Khamenei becoming Iran’s leader would be “unacceptable.” Trump added: “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment. Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me.” Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces warned Sunday that any successor to Ali Khamenei could be considered a potential target.
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Earlier on Sunday, U.S. Central Command confirmed that another U.S. service member had died from injuries sustained during the early wave of Iranian attacks in the Middle East, bringing the number of American troops killed in the conflict to seven. The deaths come amid escalating tensions across the region following Iran’s retaliatory strikes tied to the ongoing conflict, known by the U.S. military as Operation Epic Fury. The president has previously warned that additional American casualties may occur as the fighting continues. Asked whether he expected to attend more transfer ceremonies, Trump said, “I’m sure. I hate to … but it’s a part of war.”
Officials said the service member was critically wounded during a March 1 attack targeting U.S. forces stationed in Saudi Arabia and died Saturday from those injuries. The military has not yet released the individual’s name, following the standard practice of waiting until at least 24 hours after relatives have been notified. US Central Command said on X: “Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East. The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.”
The latest death follows the loss of six U.S. Army reservists who were killed the same day in a separate Iranian strike on a command center at a Kuwaiti port. The fallen troops — Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork of Florida; Sgt. Declan Coady of Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan of California; Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien of Iowa; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens of Nebraska — were all members of the 103rd Sustainment Command headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.
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