Iran chooses Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump: "Will we kill him? I won't say"

The Assembly of Experts has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, 56 years old, as the new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an attack on February 28.

A transition with a distinctly dynastic flavor, a true taboo for the Islamic Republic established in 1979, which shakes global markets and puts Washington on alert.

Born in Mashhad in 1969, Mojtaba Khamenei embodies the most hardline and security-oriented wing of power. Over time, he has cemented very close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Quds Force, and the Basij militia.

His influence in the shadows had already emerged clearly in 2009, when he was identified as one of the main orchestrators of the harsh repression of the Green Movement.

Today’s appointment, while formally in line with procedures, has been accelerated by the military urgency to avoid a power vacuum. There have been internal resistances: the idea of a “monarchical” succession has alarmed several clerics of the Assembly. But the pressure from the Revolutionary Guards and the need for a unified leadership in wartime have prevailed, stifling any debate.

Across the ocean, the reaction was immediate and cold. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, dismissed the appointment with a blunt: “I’m not happy”. Pressed by reporters on his previous threats — in which he warned that an unwanted successor in Washington “would not last long” — Trump chose ambiguity: “I’m not saying”. Words that, in the context of a conflict directly involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, sound like a clear signal of deterrence.

The markets' response was also immediate: stock markets slipped into the red and the price of crude oil surged, driven by the “risk premium” linked to fears of an escalation and possible attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf.

With Mojtaba at the helm, Iranian foreign policy promises an assertive military-driven continuity. An additional strengthening of the regional strategy led by the IRGC is expected, along with a more explicit and collaborative diplomatic axis with Russia and China.