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Just days after Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the US-Israeli airstrikes on his country, the regime appears close to naming his son as his successor.
So, who is Mojtaba Khamenei, and what kind of leader would he be?
According to Islamic studies expert Mehmet Ozalp, Mojtaba is not known for his religious authority or public persona. Rather, he is a behind-the-scenes operator who has built considerable power and influence by aligning himself closely with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
During war and instability, autocratic regimes typically prioritise continuity and control, Ozalp writes. So we shouldn’t expect a major shift from Mojtaba, compared to his father.
In fact, given Mojtaba’s ties to the security establishment, the regime will only harden its animosity towards the US and Israel and continue to meet public unrest with swift repression, he says.
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Justin Bergman
International Affairs Editor
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Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University
Ali Khamenei’s son is known less for speeches or religious authority than for his influence and the networks he’s built behind the scenes.
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Heather Bray, The University of Western Australia
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Rohan Havelock, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Environment + Energy
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Alan Brent, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Science + Technology
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