Video: Crowds in Tehran cheered announcement of a new supreme leader in Iran
Video: Crowds in Tehran cheered announcement of a new supreme leader in Iran View this post on Instagram A post shared by Middle East Eye (@middleeasteye)
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Iran: Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as new supreme leader
Iran: Mojtaba Khamenei chosen as new supreme leader Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/09/2026 - 07:02 The 56-year-old cleric takes power days after Israeli-US strikes killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli-US strike, in a handout photo taken in Tehran on 30 October 2024 (Khamenei. ir/AFP) Off Mojtaba Khamenei has been named Iran ’s new supreme leader, just over a week after Israeli-US strikes killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , along with several family members, including the new leader's wife Zahra Adel, his mother Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, a son and a sister. The Assembly of Experts – the body of 88 scholars tasked under Iran’s constitution with appointing the country’s highest authority – said on Sunday that Mojtaba had been selected as the Islamic Republic’s third supreme leader since the 1979 revolution.
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China says Iran’s leadership change is an internal matter
China says Iran’s leadership change is an internal matter China has said that Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader is a domestic matter for Tehran. Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing viewed the appointment as an issue for Iran to determine under its own constitutional framework. “This is a decision by the Iranian side based on its constitution,” Guo Jiakun told a news conference.
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Araghchi says appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei ensures Iranian unity
Araghchi says appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei ensures Iranian unity Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday pledged allegiance to the country’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, saying his appointment guarantees Iran’s sovereignty and national unity. The remarks came after the Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an air strike by the United States and Israel. Araqchi said the new leader’s selection reflects the will of the Iranian nation and strengthens unity in the face of external pressure.
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Trump says he is 'not happy' with Mojtaba Khamenei appointment
Trump says he is 'not happy' with Mojtaba Khamenei appointment US President Donald Trump on Monday said he was “not happy” with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said Iran had previously aimed hundreds of missiles at countries across the Middle East but claimed the regional balance had shifted after recent US military actions. Trump said the United States had dealt Iran a severe blow and insisted that Tehran’s capabilities had been significantly weakened.
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Iran President: Mojtaba Khamenei appointment marks new era
Iran President: Mojtaba Khamenei appointment marks new era Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, calling it the start of a “new era of dignity and strength” for Iran. In a statement reported by the Fars news agency, Pezeshkian said the decision by the Assembly of Experts reflected the will of the Iranian people and strengthened national unity. Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and several senior officials have also pledged allegiance to the new leader.
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Top Iranian officials back Iran's new supreme leader
Top Iranian officials back Iran's new supreme leader High-profile members of the Iranian government have backed the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf welcomed the Assembly of Experts’ decision and said that following Khamenei is Iranians’ “definitive religious and national duty”. Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, called for unity around the new leader and thanked the assembly for its “clear” decision.
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Iran Guards say 'ready for complete obedience' to Mojtaba Khamenei
Iran Guards say 'ready for complete obedience' to Mojtaba Khamenei Iran's Revolutionary Guards pledged allegiance on Sunday to the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after he was appointed his father's successor by the Assembly of Experts. "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps... is ready for complete obedience and self-sacrifice in carrying out the divine commands of the Guardian Jurist of the time, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei", the Guards said in a statement.
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Iran names Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as new supreme leader, state media reports
Iran names Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as new supreme leader, state media reports Iran's Assembly of Experts has named Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, state media reported on Sunday.
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France's Macron says spoke with Iran's Pezeshkian
France's Macron says spoke with Iran's Pezeshkian French president Emmanuel Macron has spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, calling on Iran to halt strikes against other countries in the region and to end the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Macron said on Sunday. In a post on X, Macron also reiterated France's position that a diplomatic solution was necessary to end the conflict.
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Tehran indicates Khamenei's son will be named supreme leader as Israel expands Iran strikes
Tehran indicates Khamenei's son will be named supreme leader as Israel expands Iran strikes Iran on Sunday indicated it had chosen Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba as his successor, after Israel struck fuel depots in Tehran overnight and the conflict widened after Bahrain said an Iranian attack had damaged one of its desalination plants. "The name of Khamenei will continue," said Ayatollah Hosseinali Eshkevari, a member of the clerical council charged with electing a new leader, in a video published in Iranian media. "The vote has been cast and will be announced soon," Eshkevari said, without providing further details.
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Iran selects new supreme leader
Iran selects new supreme leader The Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran's new supreme leader, has announced it has reached a decision. "The vote to appoint the leader has taken place and the leader has been chosen," Ahmad Alamolhoda, a member of the Assembly of Experts, told Iran's Mehr news agency. He said the leader's name will be announced later on Sunday.
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Iran president says remarks on neighbours ‘misinterpreted by enemy’
Iran president says remarks on neighbours ‘misinterpreted by enemy’ Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said his remarks were "misinterpreted by the enemy that seeks to sow division with neighbours", state TV reported on Sunday, after they were viewed as a decision to suspend attacks on Gulf countries while strikes did not stop. "It has repeatedly been said we are brothers and must have good relations with neighbours. However, we are forced to retaliate to attacks but this does not mean we have a dispute with a (neighbouring) country or want to upset their people," Pezeshkian said.
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Israel warns it will target those naming Iran’s next leader
Israel warns it will target those naming Iran’s next leader The Israeli military said it would pursue anyone involved in appointing a successor to Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a Reuters report. The warning came after Iranian clerics said efforts to select a new leader were nearing completion. Ayatollah Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, said “a decisive and unanimous opinion” had been reached on the country’s leadership.
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Iran cleric says leadership choice nearing announcement
Iran cleric says leadership choice nearing announcement Member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri, on Sunday said “great efforts to determine the leadership” have been made and that “a decisive and unanimous opinion” has been reached. In a video posted by the Fars news agency on Telegram, another member of the body, Hojjatoleslam Jafari, said that he hopes “all Iranian people will be satisfied as soon as possible”. “The delay in electing the third leader is bitter and unwanted for everyone, and there is no alternative, so we should not have bad thoughts about our representatives at this difficult time,” he said.
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Iranian foreign minister says he is in contact with Saudi counterpart
Iranian foreign minister says he is in contact with Saudi counterpart Seyed Abbas Araqchi says he is in constant contact with his Saudi counterpart and Saudi officials. In an interview relayed by his Telegram channel, Saudi officials said they were fully committed to not letting their territory, water and airspace be used for attacks against Iran, Araqchi said.
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Iranian foreign minister says Trump ‘killed’ Iran’s gesture towards its neighbours
Iranian foreign minister says Trump ‘killed’ Iran’s gesture towards its neighbours “President Pezeshkian expressed openness to de-escalation within our region, provided that our neighbors’ airspace, territory, and waters are not used to attack the Iranian People”, Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on X. The statement came after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said neighbouring countries would no longer be targeted unless an attack originates from there. Shortly after the president’s statement, Iran was hit with attacks, triggering Tehran's response what it said were US assets in neighbouring Gulf nations.
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Iranian body to meet within a day to choose next supreme leader, local media says
Iranian body to meet within a day to choose next supreme leader, local media says A member of Iran's Assembly of Experts said Saturday the body would meet within a day to choose the country's next supreme leader, Iranian media reported. "With divine assistance, this session will occur within the next twenty-four hours," said Hossein Mozafari, one of the assembly's 88 members, cited by the Fars news agency. The statement came a week after the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack.
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Arab League to hold emergency talks over Iran
Arab League to hold emergency talks over Iran The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to discuss what officials described as Iranian attacks on several Gulf countries. The meeting will take place via video conference, according to the bloc’s assistant secretary-general. Hossam Zaki said the session was requested by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Egypt.
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Carlson slams call to destroy Dome of the Rock for rebuilding biblical Third Temple
Carlson slams call to destroy Dome of the Rock for rebuilding biblical Third Temple American commentator Tucker Carlson criticised evangelical pastor Greg Locke after remarks in which Locke suggested the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem should be destroyed to rebuild the biblical Third Temple. Carlson said such calls misrepresent Christian teachings and risk inflaming religious tensions. “If you’re a Christian preacher calling for the rebuilding of the Third Temple, you missed the whole point,” Carlson said.
