5 days ago
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Mojtaba Khamenei suceeded his late father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israel military operation at the end of last month.
10:35, Wed, Mar 11, 2026 Updated: 11:17, Wed, Mar 11, 2026
Iran appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader (Image: Getty)
A major update has been provided on Iran's new Supreme Leader, who has reportedly not been seen in public since his appointment on Sunday. Mojtaba Khamenei suceeded his late father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israel airstrike at the end of last month
However, since been appointed at the weekend, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has reportedly not been seen in public, leading to questions over his whereabouts as the US and Israel intensify their attacks on Iran as tensions in the Middle East skyrocket. The new supreme leader has not been seen in public since his appointment three days ago. Israel's intelligence assessment is that Iran's new supreme leader was lightly wounded in the Israeli-U.S. joint air war against Iran, a senior Israeli official told Reuters. The New York Times also claims that Khamenei was injured on the opening day of the war and cited three Iranian sources.
Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in airstrikes (Image: AP)
The officials also added that Khamenei had not appeared in public due to concerns that any communication could reveal his location and put him in danger.
Iran's political system is dominated by the Supreme Leader, the country's highest authority who exercises control over the armed forces, judiciary and key state institutions.
The position had been held since 1989 by Ali Khamenei, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in the Middle East.
Tensions in the region escalated sharply following major attacks reported on February 28, which were said to have targeted Iranian military and strategic facilities.
The strikes were widely viewed as a significant turning point, fuelling fears of a broader conflict and prompting renewed questions within Iran about leadership stability and the issue of succession.
In the days that followed, attention increasingly focused on Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who had long been seen by some experts as an influential behind-the-scenes figure.
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A mourner holds a poster of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, beside his late father Ayatollah Ali (Image: AP)
Though not a senior cleric, he had connections to powerful elements within Iran's security establishment.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards are thought to have forced through the choice, seeing him as a more pliant version of his father who would back their hardline policies.
Speaking on Sunday, President Donald Trump said Sunday the new leader "is not going to last long" if the Iranians don't get his approval first.
"He's going to have to get approval from us," the president told ABC News.
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"If he doesn't get approval from us he's not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don't have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it."
The uncertainty comes as regional tensions remain high, with observers warning the situation could have significant implications for security and geopolitics across the Middle East.
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