Iran appoints Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader on 8 March 2026

Key facts

• The 88-member Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei, aged 56, as the new Supreme Leader of Iran.
• The appointment follows the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint United States (US) and Israeli strikes.
• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian armed forces have pledged their support to the new leader.
• Key political figures supporting the appointment include President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
• Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), is currently steering the national security strategy.
• Sadiq Larijani serves as the head of the Expediency Council, which also backed the appointment.
• Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf described following the new leader as a religious and national duty.
• Mojtaba Khamenei succeeds his father, who held power since 1989 after the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged unwavering support for the appointment, while China opposed any targeting of the new leader.