Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei Appointed as Iran’s New Supreme Leader
The Assembly of Experts of Iran has announced that following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, this body convened an extraordinary session and appointed his son, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The official statement from the Assembly declared that the process of selecting a successor began immediately after the news of the former leader’s martyrdom was made public.
According to the statement, the Assembly of Experts indicated that this decision was made while the country faces a wartime situation and security threats. The announcement also noted that the offices of the Assembly’s secretariat were targeted in bombings, resulting in the martyrdom of several staff members.
Citing Articles 108 and 111 of Iran’s constitution, the Assembly emphasized that to prevent a leadership vacuum, necessary coordination was carried out to hold the extraordinary session and to gather members from various parts of the country. Under the constitution, the Assembly of Experts is responsible for appointing and overseeing the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
The statement further expressed gratitude towards the members of the temporary council anticipated by the constitution and called upon the Iranian people—especially religious and academic elites—to support the newly appointed leader and maintain national unity.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the second leader of the Iranian revolution, was martyred on 29 February in an airstrike by American-Israeli forces at his office, along with several commanders and other members of the Iranian government.
