After the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei due to US-Israel airstrikes last month, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been officially elected as the new Supreme Leader. Known for his hardline stance, Mojtaba has long exerted influence within Iran's power core with the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and conservative clerics. His rise to power is seen as a clear signal that Iran intends to maintain its existing hardline approach and anti-US diplomatic stance, as noted by Reuters, emphasizing a choice of confrontation rather than compromise.

Mojtaba was born in September 1969 in the northeastern Iranian holy city of Mashhad and studied at the seminary in Qom, eventually attaining the clerical rank below that of his father at 'hojatoleslam'. NBC News reports that this lower rank raises concerns about his lack of religious authority to lead the clerical regime. Despite holding minimal official government positions, Mojtaba has acted as an 'informal power broker', managing his father’s power base through close ties with intelligence agencies and clerical networks, thereby functioning as a gatekeeper for the Supreme Leader, establishing connections between security forces and political and religious elites.

His close relationship with hardline political factions is established, especially during the 2009 protests following allegations of electoral fraud during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. It is alleged Mojtaba played a role in suppressing these protests alongside the IRGC and Basij forces. After the recent airstrikes leading to the deaths of his father, mother, and wife, it is suggested that he might harbor a strong desire for revenge against the West, a sentiment that could further solidify Iran's hardline foreign policy going forward.