Iran names Mojtaba Khamenei as new supreme leader amid regional crisis

Iran’s Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader following his father’s death in US-Israeli strikes. Seen as a move to ensure continuity and a hardline stance, the decision has backing from the IRGC and Iran’s security establishment. Reactions abroad were mixed: Oman and Iraq offered congratulations; the US’s Donald Trump criticized the choice; Israel condemned it as a continuation of the regime’s brutality; Russia pledged unwavering support, China cited sovereignty, and Yemen’s Houthis welcomed the appointment, all against the backdrop of the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran and Tehran’s broader crisis.