Mojtaba Khamenei

Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei^[a] (born 8 September 1969) is an Iranian politician and cleric who is the second eldest child of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. He served in the Iran–Iraq War from 1987 to 1988, and also reportedly took control of the Basij paramilitary militia that was used to suppress the protests over the 2009 election.^[1][2][3]

Political commentators regard him to be one of the potential candidates to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader.

Mojtaba was born in Mashhad in 1969 and is the second son of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme leader of Iran.^[4][5][6] After graduating from high school, he studied theology. His early teachers included his own father and Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.^[5]

In 1999, he continued his studies in Qom to become a cleric. Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani and Mohammad Bagher Kharazi were his teachers there.^[5][7]

Khamenei was affiliated with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,^[8] and supported Ahmadinejad in the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections.^[9] Journalists stated that he may "have played a leading role in orchestrating" Ahmadinejad's electoral victory in 2009.^[2][5]

Khamenei was speculated to have been "a key figure in orchestrating the crackdown against anti-government protesters" in June 2009.^[10] He is believed to have been directly in charge of the paramilitary Basij, a blackout of his name in the regime press notwithstanding.^[2]

In an open letter, Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist candidate in the 2009 election, accused Mojtaba Khamenei of conspiring to rig the election in Ahmadinejad's favor, referring to illegal interference of "a network".^[11]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later accused Mojtaba Khamenei of embezzling from the state treasury.^[12]

Mojtaba is reported to have a strong influence over his father and is talked about as his possible successor.^[2][13] This is thought by some to present a problem, for the Supreme Leader needs to be elected by the Assembly of Experts from among senior Shia Islamic scholars, but it has been noted that the previous incumbent, Ruhollah Khomeini, exerted a strong influence in favor of the choice of Khamenei’s father.^[8]

The Guardian argues that "The strength of Mojtaba's following has not been demonstrated", and while he wears clerical robes he "by no means has the theological status" to rise to Supreme Leader, although it notes that.^[2] According to the Los Angeles Times, Mojtaba's religious and political stature may still not be enough for Ali Khamenei to one day unveil his son as his successor.^[9] However, the Assembly of Experts is considered by The Atlantic to be a ceremonial body without any real power.^[14][15]

According to The Guardian and French newspaper Libération, among other sources, he is widely believed to control large financial assets.^[2][12] This allegation was rejected by Assembly of the Forces of Imam's Line, an Iranian political group led by his uncle Hadi Khamenei.^[16]

During the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, Motjaba and Sadiq Larijani were speculated as likely future successors as supreme leader.^[17][18] The death of Raisi in 2024 left Mojtaba and Larijani favored for the position.^{[19][20][21][22][8][23]} Unconfirmed reports state that Ali Khamenei has opposed nominating his son as successor.^[24][25] The Middle East Institute opined that Khamenei appointing his own son as successor would cause conflict within the Iranian political and religious leadership.^[26]

Mojtaba teaches theology in the Qom Seminary.^[27] Mojtaba Khamenei married Zahra Haddad-Adel in 2004.^[28][29] Their first child, a son named Mohammad Bagher, was born in 2007.^[30] The couple's second child, a daughter named Fatemeh Sadaat, was born in 2013. A second son, Mohammad Amin, was born in 2017.

Mojtaba Khamenei is widely believed to control significant financial assets in banks such as Bank Ayandeh.^[12][31]

• Wealth of Khamenei family
• Khamenei family