This Is Why Is Iran’s new supreme leader Trump's next target?
Mar 9, 2026
Dr Louise Kettle, assistant professor of international relations at the University of Nottingham, who studies British–Iranian ties, unpacks Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei. Short, probing conversation about Mojtaba’s low public profile and family ties. They explore the selection process, factional reactions, implications for regime continuity, and how this choice shapes prospects for conflict and diplomacy.
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New Leader Is A Continuity Candidate
- Mojtaba Khamenei is a largely unseen continuity candidate who served as his father's chief of staff since 1997 and never held public office.
- Kettle links his selection to long service, alignment with the late leader's views, and close IRGC ties from Iran–Iraq war service.
Selection Echoes Dynastic Concerns
- Choosing the son revives fears of dynastic rule, undermining the 1979 revolution's anti-monarchy ethos and raising religious legitimacy questions.
- Kettle notes historical precedent concerns given Ayatollah Khamenei Sr. built authority over decades, which Mojtaba lacks.
Assembly of Experts Chooses Leader
- The Assembly of Experts (88 jurists) selects the supreme leader via shortlist and final vote, not a public popular process.
- Kettle outlines a smaller panel creates candidates, then the full assembly votes to appoint the leader.