# Assembly of Experts names Mojtaba Khamenei supreme leader

Date: 2026

On 8 March 2026, Iran's Assembly of Experts selected [Mojtaba Khamenei](/people/mojtaba-khamenei) as supreme leader after the death of his father, [Ali Khamenei](/people/ali-khamenei), during the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on 28 February. The appointment transferred Iran's highest political and military authority to the previous leader's son. Mojtaba had not previously held elected office, although reporting had long linked him to powerful security and political networks. The selection was made through the constitutional body responsible for choosing the supreme leader; it was not an automatic legal inheritance. Its father-to-son character nevertheless intensified scrutiny of concentrated and dynastic power.

## Drivers

- Executive-Power Concentration: https://factrail.ai/drivers/executive-power-concentration

## Sources

- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mojtaba-khamenei-iran-new-supreme-leader/
- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-rejects-settling-iran-war-raises-prospect-killing-all-its-potential-2026-03-08/

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/ir-assembly-of-experts-names-mojtaba-khamenei-supreme-leader-2026-03-08