The Fox News Rundown Iran Names A New Supreme Leader, Who Is He?
Mar 9, 2026
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director specializing in Iran policy and strategy, breaks down Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise. He outlines Mojtaba’s background and clerical standing. He discusses Iran’s power dynamics between clerics and the IRGC. He explores regional ripples, U.S. and Israeli options, and why Tehran internationalizes conflict.
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IRGC Backed Succession Ensures Continuity
- Mojtaba Khamenei's elevation signals continuity of leadership and an IRGC-aligned succession rather than reform.
- Behnam Ben Taleblu says the regime engineered continuity, with Mojtaba seen as the security-state/IRGC candidate.
Target The Security Services Not Just Weapons
- Keep pressuring Iran's security apparatus directly to shift power dynamics rather than only targeting policy symbols.
- Ben Taleblu advises syncing U.S. moves with Israel to target security services, not just missiles and nuclear assets.
Turbans Need Guns To Rule Effectively
- Real power in Iran rests with the security services, not just the clerical supreme leader.
- Ben Taleblu stresses the future depends on the turbans' relationship with the guys who hold the guns (IRGC and security services).