TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is touted as the likely successor of his father as the Supreme Leader of Iran. He is reportedly to have been selected as Khamenei's successor by the Assembly of Experts in Iran, as cited by NDTV.
But it was refuted by the Iranian government through X by its Consulate General in Mumbai, stating that the circulating reports "have no official source."
"Reports circulating on media regarding potential candidates for leadership selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts have no official source and are officially denied," it said.
The claim that Mojtaba Khamenei is a strong candidate to replace Ali Khamenei was also mentioned by the US media, The New York Post. The 56-year-old man is favored to take control of Iran by the Iranian Council of Experts.
Other media, including Israeli media and Iranian opposition channels, reported on Tuesday morning that Mojtaba has been elected. Initially, Mojtaba was believed to be among 40 top aides of Iran who were killed in a Saturday attack that killed the 86-year-old Ali Khamenei.
However, reports of his name being mentioned in the leadership succession talks indicate that he is still alive and well.
Mojtaba is the second child of Ali Khamenei. He is known for his strong adherence to hardline conservatism like his father and has a close relationship with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He does not assume an official role in his father's regime, but he has been subject to US sanctions in 2019. If Mojtaba is indeed leading Iran now or will soon lead it, the appointment is unexpected, as Iran does not recognize succession based on lineage, especially since the monarchy was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
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