According to DW sources, the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei was the result of pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Mojtaba Khamenei, 2019. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto / picture alliance.
The temporary leadership of Iran is carried out by a three-member council, which includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, head of the judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi — a member of the Guardian Council of the Constitution.
Ali Khamenei, who led Iran since 1989, was killed during a military operation initiated by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic on February 28. Later, his wife Mansoureh Khodjasteh died from injuries sustained during the attack.
The position of the spiritual leader in Iran is for life and is appointed by the members of the Assembly of Experts, which consists of 88 specialists in Islamic law. These experts are elected by citizens every eight years, with the last elections held in 2024.
On February 28, Israel and the United States began attacks on Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to destroy the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic and urged the Iranian army to lay down their arms, while calling on citizens to take their fate into their own hands.
According to Iranian state media, at least 787 people were killed as a result of the attacks. In response, Iran attacked Israel and several countries in the Persian Gulf, where losses were also reported. Tehran claims that its actions are directed against U.S. military bases in the region, not against Arab countries.
