Assembly of Experts Names Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s Third Supreme Leader

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has announced that Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has been appointed as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, the Assembly issued a statement late Sunday, March 8, saying the decision was made during an emergency meeting of the body and was approved by a decisive vote of its members. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, was introduced as the successor to Iran’s slain leader. In its statement, the Assembly of Experts said it had acted to ensure that “the country does not face a leadership vacuum.” It added that after extensive deliberations, members agreed on the selection of a new leader. The statement also referred to military attacks by the United States and Israel, claiming that during the strikes, the offices of the Assembly of Experts’ secretariat were targeted and several staff members were killed. Earlier, Israel had announced that it would also pursue the successor to Ali Khamenei. Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed on February 27 during U.S. and Israeli attacks in Tehran. According to reports, the military operation has now entered its ninth day.