Mojtaba Khamenei Named Iran’s New Supreme Leader Amid Ongoing Strikes — Sources

Tehran / Tel Aviv — Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba has been named as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, according to Iran International, after his father was killed in US-Israeli strikes. The independent news outlet reported that the IRGC heavily pressured the assembled group of clerics to select Mojtaba as the regime’s new leader. 
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the second-eldest son of the slain leader.  (Time) He is a significant figure with strong links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij volunteer paramilitary force, but has never held government office. 
Sources told Iran International that with airstrikes ongoing, convening a formal session of the Assembly of Experts was not feasible, leading the IRGC to push for the appointment outside of legally prescribed constitutional procedures. 
The selection is not without controversy. Khamenei had reportedly indicated opposition to his son’s candidacy, as many Iranians view hereditary succession as undermining the 1979 revolution, which ousted the US-backed monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. 
Meanwhile, a three-member interim council comprising President Masoud Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Mohseni-Eje’i, and senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi continues to govern Iran during the transition. 
Iranian government officials have not yet issued an official confirmation of Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment