Iran's Assembly of Experts has chosen Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, state media reports. In 2019, Mojtaba Khamenei was sanctioned by the United States as part of a group of individuals “who are appointees of or have acted for or on behalf of” Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While Mojtaba Khamenei has got the job, he clearly is not going to have the same powerful position as his father who built his influence up over 40 years. But from the perspective of the 88 member clerical body that selected Mojtaba Khamenei, it’s a fight for survival. Mojtaba Khamenei was someone who was essentially in the office, even if he wasn’t in the right chair, he’s now behind the desk.
