Latest news with #MojtabaKhamenei
Al Bawaba
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Was Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, assassinated?
ALBAWABA - Unconfirmed social media reports claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Sources allegedly said that Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was likely killed in the airstrikes which targeted the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps early Tuesday morning. A video was posted on social media claiming to show the place where the strike hit and led to the assassination of the supreme leader's son, Mojtaba Khamenei. The clip showed a number of people surrounding an area where fire is seen erupting following an alleged airstrike. A social media user said on X that "unofficial and unconfirmed Iranian sources are circulating that an Israeli airstrike was targeting Khamenei, but that the person killed in the strike was his son, Mojtaba." Accordign to the netizen, the airstrike took place in Tehran, "engulfing the city in smoke, just moments before the ceasefire was announced." مصادر تقول أنباء عن مقتل نجل خامنئي الدجال مجتبى خامنئي في الغارات الجويه الذى تدمرت مقرات الحرس الثوري الارهابي فجر اليوم في هذا المكان بالضبط — hamid mutasher (@HamedMusher) June 24, 2025 However, many questioned the rumors emerging online and called them fake, as no official statement or reliable news outlet has detailed the news or confirmed it. Reuters reported on Monday that a three-man committee from a top clerical body was chosen and appointed by the 86-year-old Ali Khamenei himself years ago to pick his replacement in case he is gone.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Frontrunners emerge as Iranian officials discuss possible successors to Khamenei: report
Multiple frontrunners are emerging to succeed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the 86-year-old has gone into hiding during Israel and the United States' joint military campaign against the Islamic Republic, a report said. A three-man committee appointed by Khamenei to identify his successor has ramped up its activity in recent days following repeated waves of airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program, Reuters reported, citing five sources with knowledge of the discussions. Two names rising to the top of the list are Mojtaba Khamenei – the ayatollah's 56-year-old son who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2019 – and Hassan Khomeini, the 53-year-old grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, according to the sources. "Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the Supreme Leader, is designated... for representing the Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father," the Treasury Department said in 2019 while sanctioning him. The Missing Mullah: Iran's 'Supreme Leader' A No-show For Negotiations, Then Hid As Us Pounded Nuke Sites "The Supreme Leader has delegated a part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojtaba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and also the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to advance his father's destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives," the department added at the time. Read On The Fox News App Mojtaba Khamenei currently teaches theology at a religious seminary in Qom and is closely aligned with his father's hardline views, Reuters reported, citing sources. Khomeini, who is more of a reformist and is allied with a faction that is in favor of easing social and political restrictions in Iran, garners respect because of his lineage, according to Reuters. In 2024, Khomeini warned of a "crisis of rising popular dissatisfaction" among Iranians due to poverty, Reuters also reported. Here's What A Post-ayatollah Iran Could Look Like If War With Israel Leads To Regime's Fall The sources reportedly said that no decision has been made yet, more candidates could emerge and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who is regularly kept up to date on the talks – would have the final say. Khamenei is sheltering right now in a bunker and has suspended all electronic communications with his commanders, according to the New York Times. He is relaying orders only through a trusted aide to protect his location amid assassination concerns. Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Beth Bailey contributed to this report. Original article source: Frontrunners emerge as Iranian officials discuss possible successors to Khamenei: report
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Frontrunners emerge as Iranian officials discuss possible successors to Khamenei: report
Multiple frontrunners are emerging to succeed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the 86-year-old has gone into hiding during Israel and the United States' joint military campaign against the Islamic Republic, a report said. A three-man committee appointed by Khamenei to identify his successor has ramped up its activity in recent days following repeated waves of airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program, Reuters reported, citing five sources with knowledge of the discussions. Two names rising to the top of the list are Mojtaba Khamenei – the ayatollah's 56-year-old son who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2019 – and Hassan Khomeini, the 53-year-old grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, according to the sources. "Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the Supreme Leader, is designated... for representing the Supreme Leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father," the Treasury Department said in 2019 while sanctioning him. "The Supreme Leader has delegated a part of his leadership responsibilities to Mojtaba Khamenei, who worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and also the Basij Resistance Force (Basij) to advance his father's destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives," the department added at the time. Mojtaba Khamenei currently teaches theology at a religious seminary in Qom and is closely aligned with his father's hardline views, Reuters reported, citing sources. Khomeini, who is more of a reformist and is allied with a faction that is in favor of easing social and political restrictions in Iran, garners respect because of his lineage, according to Reuters. In 2024, Khomeini warned of a "crisis of rising popular dissatisfaction" among Iranians due to poverty, Reuters also reported. The sources reportedly said that no decision has been made yet, more candidates could emerge and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who is regularly kept up to date on the talks – would have the final say. Khamenei is sheltering right now in a bunker and has suspended all electronic communications with his commanders, according to the New York Times. He is relaying orders only through a trusted aide to protect his location amid assassination concerns.
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Son of Iranian leader Khamenei is hardliner with backroom influence
June 23 (Reuters) - Mojtaba Khamenei is one of the most influential figures in the Iranian clerical establishment headed by his father, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and among the figures seen as a candidate to succeed him as leader of the Islamic Republic. A mid-ranking cleric who studied under religious conservatives in the seminaries of Qom, Mojtaba is a hardliner with close ties to the Revolutionary Guards, the force mandated to safeguard the Islamic Republic led by Khamenei since 1989. Carrying the clerical rank of Hojjatoleslam, Mojtaba, 55, has never held a formal position in the Islamic Republic's government, exercising his influence behind the scenes as the gatekeeper to his father, according to Iran watchers. His role has long been a point of controversy in Iran, with critics rejecting any hint of dynastic politics in a country that overthrew a U.S.-backed monarch in 1979. Khamenei has himself indicated opposition to the idea of dynastic succession. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba in 2019, saying he represented the Supreme Leader in "an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position" aside from working his father's office. Its website said Khamenei had delegated some of his responsibilities to Mojtaba, whom it said had worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Quds Force and the Basij, a religious militia affiliated with the Guards, "to advance his father's destabilising regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives". Over the past 20 years, Mojtaba has built close ties with the Guards, giving him added leverage across Iran's political and security apparatus, sources told Reuters. Mojtaba has been a target of protesters' anger in demonstrations since 2009, particularly during months of unrest that swept Iran over the death of a young woman in police custody in 2022, after she was arrested for allegedly breaching the Islamic Republic's strict dress codes. He has appeared at loyalist rallies, but has rarely spoken in public. Last year, a video was widely shared in which he announced the suspension of Islamic jurisprudence classes he was teaching at Qom, fuelling speculation about the reasons. He bares a strong resemblance to his father, and wears the black turban of a sayyed, indicating his family traces its lineage to the Prophet Mohammad. Critics say Mojtaba lacks the clerical credentials to become Supreme Leader - Hojjatoleslam is a notch below the rank of Ayatollah - the position held by his father and Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic. But he has remained in the frame, particularly after another leading candidate for the role - the former President Ebrahim Raisi - died in a helicopter crash in 2024. A U.S. diplomatic cable written in 2007 and published by WikiLeaks cited three Iranian sources describing Mojtaba as an avenue to reach Khamenei. He has opposed Iran's reformist camp that has favoured engagement with the West and has been embodied by figures such as the former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani. Mojtaba was widely believed to have been behind the sudden rise of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election. Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist cleric who ran in the 2005 election, wrote a letter to Khamenei at the time objecting to what he alleged was Mojtaba's role in supporting Ahmadinejad. Khamenei rejected the accusation. Mojtaba also backed Ahmadinejad in 2009 when he ran again and won a second term in a disputed election that resulted in anti-government protests that were violently suppressed by the Basij and other security forces. His wife is the daughter of a prominent hardliner, the former parliament speaker Gholamali Haddadadel. Mojtaba was born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad, growing up as his father was helping to lead the opposition to the Shah, and as a young man served in the Iran-Iraq war.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Son of Iranian leader Khamenei is hardliner with backroom influence
FILE PHOTO: Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits Hezbollah's office in Tehran, Iran, October 1, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Mojtaba Khamenei (right), the second son of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits Hezbollah's office in Tehran, Iran, October 1, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Mojtaba Khamenei is one of the most influential figures in the Iranian clerical establishment headed by his father, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and among the figures seen as a candidate to succeed him as leader of the Islamic Republic. A mid-ranking cleric who studied under religious conservatives in the seminaries of Qom, Mojtaba is a hardliner with close ties to the Revolutionary Guards, the force mandated to safeguard the Islamic Republic led by Khamenei since 1989. Carrying the clerical rank of Hojjatoleslam, Mojtaba, 55, has never held a formal position in the Islamic Republic's government, exercising his influence behind the scenes as the gatekeeper to his father, according to Iran watchers. His role has long been a point of controversy in Iran, with critics rejecting any hint of dynastic politics in a country that overthrew a U.S.-backed monarch in 1979. Khamenei has himself indicated opposition to the idea of dynastic succession. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba in 2019, saying he represented the Supreme Leader in "an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position" aside from working his father's office. Its website said Khamenei had delegated some of his responsibilities to Mojtaba, whom it said had worked closely with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Quds Force and the Basij, a religious militia affiliated with the Guards, "to advance his father's destabilising regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives". Over the past 20 years, Mojtaba has built close ties with the Guards, giving him added leverage across Iran's political and security apparatus, sources told Reuters. Mojtaba has been a target of protesters' anger in demonstrations since 2009, particularly during months of unrest that swept Iran over the death of a young woman in police custody in 2022, after she was arrested for allegedly breaching the Islamic Republic's strict dress codes. He has appeared at loyalist rallies, but has rarely spoken in public. Last year, a video was widely shared in which he announced the suspension of Islamic jurisprudence classes he was teaching at Qom, fuelling speculation about the reasons. He bares a strong resemblance to his father, and wears the black turban of a sayyed, indicating his family traces its lineage to the Prophet Mohammad. Critics say Mojtaba lacks the clerical credentials to become Supreme Leader - Hojjatoleslam is a notch below the rank of Ayatollah - the position held by his father and Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic. But he has remained in the frame, particularly after another leading candidate for the role - the former President Ebrahim Raisi - died in a helicopter crash in 2024. AVENUE TO THE LEADER A U.S. diplomatic cable written in 2007 and published by WikiLeaks cited three Iranian sources describing Mojtaba as an avenue to reach Khamenei. He has opposed Iran's reformist camp that has favoured engagement with the West and has been embodied by figures such as the former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani. Mojtaba was widely believed to have been behind the sudden rise of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election. Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist cleric who ran in the 2005 election, wrote a letter to Khamenei at the time objecting to what he alleged was Mojtaba's role in supporting Ahmadinejad. Khamenei rejected the accusation. Mojtaba also backed Ahmadinejad in 2009 when he ran again and won a second term in a disputed election that resulted in anti-government protests that were violently suppressed by the Basij and other security forces. His wife is the daughter of a prominent hardliner, the former parliament speaker Gholamali Haddadadel. Mojtaba was born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad, growing up as his father was helping to lead the opposition to the Shah, and as a young man served in the Iran-Iraq war. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
