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Mojtaba Khamenei is considered one of the leading candidates to succeed his father at the head of the Islamic Republic.
Israel has attempted to eliminate the main contender to take over Iran's leadership. It is Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in joint US-Israeli strikes, according to Israeli media reports.
Channel 12 and Ynet journalist Amit Segal wrote on social media that "Iran's designated successor, Khamenei's son, has been wounded, but appears to be still alive."
Mojtaba Khamenei is considered one of the leading candidates to succeed his father as head of the Islamic Republic. He is seen as the favorite to be elected the new leader by the Assembly of Experts, the body that has the power to appoint Iran's supreme leader.
So far, Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed reports of his injury. The information is based on Israeli media reports and statements by journalist Amit Segal.
Four days ago, he emerged as the leading candidate from the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member body of clerics that elects the Supreme Leader. However, the decision has not yet been ratified. On Thursday, members of the assembly met via video conference to formalize the election, but the meeting ended inconclusively.
According to sources cited by Iran International, at least eight members of the assembly boycotted the emergency session, denouncing "strong pressure" from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) to impose the candidacy of Mojtaba Khamenei.
Sources claim that Revolutionary Guard representatives repeatedly contacted several members of the assembly before the vote to influence the decision.
The issue of nepotism is also at the center of the debate. Some clerics argue that appointing the late leader's son would make the Iranian political system similar to a religious monarchy, contradicting the principles on which the Islamic Republic was founded after the 1979 revolution. Meanwhile, according to sources cited by Reuters, since the start of the war in the region, the Revolutionary Guard has significantly increased its influence in political decision-making in Iran.
Some members of the Assembly of Experts have also expressed doubts about Mojtaba Khamenei's profile, arguing that he does not have the necessary religious and legal weight for the highest position in the Iranian political system.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, a cleric and figure with great influence in the power structures in Tehran, is the eldest son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and for years was considered one of the most powerful people behind the scenes in the Iranian system.
Born in Mashhad in 1969, he grew up during the revolutionary uprising against the monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. His father, at the time a prominent cleric, was arrested and exiled several times by the Shah's security forces.
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which radically changed the family's fortunes, Mojtaba moved to Tehran, where he attended the elite Alavi High School, an institution known for training important figures in the regime. He then continued his religious studies in Tehran and Qom, under the guidance of prominent conservative clerics, including Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, according to media sources.
Although Mojtaba is a mid-ranking cleric and does not hold the title of ayatollah, he has for years been considered a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in the Supreme Leader's office. Analysts often compare his role to that of Ahmad Khomeini, the son of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who served as a close associate and intermediary during his father's rule.
Mojtaba's influence is believed to stem largely from his close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He served in the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War and is said to have developed strong relationships with figures who later rose to senior positions in Iran's security apparatus, including intelligence chiefs and Basij commanders.
Over the years, political rivals and foreign governments have accused him of meddling in election processes and suppressing protests. In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on him, as part of an executive order targeting individuals associated with Iran's Supreme Leader. The U.S. Treasury Department said at the time that Ali Khamenei had delegated some aspects of his authority to his son, who was described as representing the leader in an official capacity, although he did not hold an elected position.
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