What is it?

Mojtaba Khamenei is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who has been the third supreme leader of Iran since 2026. He is the second child of Ali Khamenei and has been involved in Iranian politics and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since the 1980s.

Khamenei was born on 8 September 1969 in Mashhad, Iran, into the Azeri–Persian Khamenei family. His father, Ali Khamenei, emerged as a leading figure in the Iranian Revolution when Mojtaba was nine years old.

Khamenei received his early education in Sardasht and Mahabad, and graduated high school from Tehran. He then studied Islamic theology under the guidance of his father and Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

Khamenei joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1987 and served in the Iran–Iraq War. He continued his studies in Qom to become a cleric in 1999 and joined the Qom Seminary as a theological teacher afterwards.

Khamenei took control of the Basij paramilitary volunteer militia in 2009 and was elected as his father's successor by Iran's Assembly of Experts following the assassination of his father in the 2026 Iran war.

Key Facts

Born on 8 September 1969 in Mashhad, Iran
Second child of Ali Khamenei
Joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1987
Served in the Iran–Iraq War
Continued his studies in Qom to become a cleric in 1999
Took control of the Basij paramilitary volunteer militia in 2009
Elected as his father's successor by Iran's Assembly of Experts in 2026
Considered to be among the most hardline of the Iranian principlists
Has close ties to some of the 'most ideologically extremist clerics'

Full Explanation

Early Life and Education

Mojtaba Khamenei was born on 8 September 1969 in Mashhad, Iran, into the Azeri–Persian Khamenei family. His father, Ali Khamenei, emerged as a leading figure in the Iranian Revolution when Mojtaba was nine years old.

Khamenei received his early education in Sardasht and Mahabad, and graduated high school from Tehran. He then studied Islamic theology under the guidance of his father and Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

Early Political Career

Khamenei first joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps around 1987 after finishing high school at age 17. He was part of the Habib bin Muzahir Battalion and took part in several operations, including Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas 2, Operation Dawn 10 and Operation Mersad.

By 21 August 2008, WikiLeaks leaked a diplomatic cable from the United States embassy in London, historian and political activist, Alireza Nourizadeh, alleged Khamenei was working alongside and under the mentorship of Asghar Hejazi, the then Political and Security Deputy to his father's office.

Role in the Office of the Supreme Leader

He has previously been sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury in 2019 as part of their policy of sanctioning individuals linked to Ali Khamenei.

History

Khamenei's early life and education were shaped by his family's involvement in the Iranian Revolution. His father, Ali Khamenei, emerged as a leading figure in the revolution when Mojtaba was nine years old.

Why it matters

Khamenei's rise to power has significant implications for Iran's domestic and foreign policies. As the third supreme leader of Iran, he is expected to continue his father's hardline stance on issues such as nuclear development and regional security.

Khamenei's close ties to some of the 'most ideologically extremist clerics' have raised concerns about his potential to exacerbate tensions in the region.

His election as his father's successor has also sparked debate about the future of Iran's leadership and the potential for a more hardline approach to governance.