Tehran: The son of the late Supreme Leader has taken the throne in the Islamic Republic. Mojtaba Khamenei was officially named Iran’s third Supreme Leader on Monday, March 9, 2026, marking the first hereditary transition in the nation’s 47-year history.

But his path to the "Beit" (the Office of the Leader) was far from traditional. As a mid-ranking cleric who had never held public office, Mojtaba’s rise is being viewed as a "securitized coup" orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the cover of war.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Supreme Leader must be a "Marja" or at least a high-ranking Ayatollah with deep jurisprudential knowledge. Until 2022, Mojtaba held the lower rank of Hojjat al-Islam.

To fix this "qualification gap," the Assembly of Experts—under intense pressure from IRGC commanders—fast-tracked his religious credentials. Reports indicate that following the February 28 air strikes that killed his father, the Assembly held an emergency online session where Mojtaba was presented as an "Ayatollah" for the first time. The regime prioritised "political survival" and "military continuity" over strict religious tradition, essentially bending the law to prevent a power vacuum during the Israel-Iran war.

Why is a 'hereditary rule' a shock to the Iranian revolution?

The 1979 Islamic Revolution was built on the destruction of the Pahlavi monarchy. For decades, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself publicly rejected the idea of a son succeeding a father, calling it "un-Islamic."

By appointing Mojtaba, the Assembly of Experts has effectively turned the Islamic Republic into a "theocratic monarchy." This move has sparked silent dissent among senior clerics in the holy city of Qom, who warn that a leader chosen by the military rather than religious merit lacks "divine legitimacy."

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? The ‘shadow prince’ now ruling Iran amid war with Israel

As Iran moves into a new and volatile chapter, all eyes are on Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old cleric who has officially stepped out of the shadows to become the nation’s third Supreme Leader.

Born on September 8, 1969, in the holy city of Mashhad, Mojtaba is the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He served as the ultimate "gatekeeper," acting as his father's deputy chief of staff and controlling access to the heart of Iranian power.

For decades, many Iranians had never even heard his voice. Yet, behind the scenes, he was a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War and a master of high-stakes influence. He is known as a "seyyed," a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, symbolised by his black turban.

Investigations by Bloomberg and Western intelligence suggest he has amassed a fortune exceeding $100 million. Reports allege he controls a vast financial network involving oil sales, luxury British real estate, and hotels in Europe and Dubai.

In 2019, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned him, stating he advanced his father’s "destabilizing regional ambitions" despite having no official role.