Iran's Assembly of Experts has elected slain Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor. Known as a low-profile but high-influence cleric, Mojtaba has been shaped by Iran's revolutionary system right from in his early days.
Who Is Mojatba Khamenei?
Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, was born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad, Iran. He is the second son of Ali Khamenei, who led Iran from 1989 until his death in 2026. He was born into a clerical family in Mashhad, a major Shiite religious centre. His early life unfolded while his father was active in the anti-Shah movement and then rose within the new Islamic Republic after 1979. After finishing secondary school in 1987, Mojtaba joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and served near the end of the Iran-Iraq War. He later pursued religious studies in Qom, studying under conservative clerics, and eventually taught theology or Islamic jurisprudence there.
Mojatba Khamenei's Influence and US Sanctions
Khamenei is a mid-ranking cleric with the rank of Hojjatoleslam, which is below Ayatollah. Mojtaba has never held a formal government post, but that has not affected his influence. He is widely believed to have backed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election, and again in the disputed 2009 election that triggered mass protests.
In Nov. 2019, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei, stating he had represented the Supreme Leader “in an official capacity” despite never being elected or formally appointed to government, and alleged that he worked closely with the IRGC-Qods Force and the Basij to advance his father's domestic and regional agenda.
Mojatba Khamenei's Family
Mojtaba is married to Zahra Haddad-Adel, daughter of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel who is an Iranian conservative politician and former chairman of the Parliament in 2004. They reportedly have three children, but not much is publicly known about them.
ALSO READ: Khamenei's Son Mojtaba Appointed Iran Supreme Leader Upon IRGC Backing
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
