Mojtaba Khamenei, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's second son and a conservative hardliner, appears set to become Iran's next supreme leader. The announcement was delayed once due to concerns over conflicts with moderates and potential targeted strikes by the United States and Israel, but the selection process reportedly reached unanimous consensus. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Mojtaba as "incompetent" and expressed his intent to continue the war until Iran's leadership is completely replaced.
According to Iran's opposition-leaning Mehr News Agency on the 8th (local time), Ayatollah Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, a member of the Assembly of Experts—the constitutional body that selects Iran's supreme leader—said regarding Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's successor: "A majority consensus has nearly been reached, but some procedural obstacles must be resolved." Iran International also reported that "Iranian clerics say the Assembly of Experts has already selected a new supreme leader, but there are differences over when and how to announce it."
According to Iranian media, Mojtaba was scheduled to be announced as the next supreme leader on the 4th but was postponed due to various controversies. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) currently dominates Iranian politics and supports Mojtaba, calling him "the son of a martyr." However, when Mojtaba was designated as the choice, the U.S. and Israel immediately threatened to eliminate him, prompting the delay in the announcement.
Meanwhile, moderates and pragmatists opposed the selection, citing that Mojtaba is merely a mid-ranking cleric and that this would be the first father-to-son succession since the abolition of the monarchy in 1979. The fact that Khamenei opposed his son's political involvement during his lifetime also bolstered moderate criticism. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who wields enormous influence over Iranian diplomacy and administration, is known to be among the anti-Mojtaba faction.
However, President Trump's interview with Politico backfired against the moderates. Trump said "the father (Khamenei) didn't want to hand power to his son because he was considered incompetent," while expressing willingness to intervene in regime change. Hardline clerics seized the initiative, urging a swift announcement of the successor.
During the four-day leadership vacuum ahead of the announcement, confusion mounted on the Iranian front. Just hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who leads the interim government, promised to halt attacks on neighboring Gulf states, strikes on Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates resumed.
According to Reuters on the 7th (local time), President Pezeshkian said in a state TV address: "The interim leadership council has approved halting attacks on neighboring countries as long as they do not attack Iran. I personally apologize to neighboring countries that have been attacked by Iran." The interim leadership council consists of three members including President Pezeshkian.
But the promise was broken within hours. The IRGC announced an attack on the U.S. military base in Juffair, Bahrain, while the UAE said its air defense systems intercepted Iranian missiles and drones over Dubai. After the death toll rose to four, the UAE conducted its first airstrike on Iranian desalination facilities. Israel intensively struck fuel facilities around Tehran, targeting the Shahran oil storage facility in the northwest and the Rey refinery complex in the south. Some tanks exploded, releasing large amounts of toxic gas.
Hardliner Hamid Rasaei, an Iranian parliamentarian, publicly criticized the president on social media: "Your position is unprofessional, weak, and unacceptable." Reuters assessed that "while senior figures share a commitment to defending the Islamic Republic and theocratic system, there are clear rifts over strategic approach."
Middle Eastern countries declared retaliation against Iran's inconsistent behavior. According to Qatar's state news agency, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani pressured Iran, saying he would not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect his country's safety, sovereignty, and national interests. Saudi Arabia also warned it would have no choice but to retaliate if attacks on Saudi territory or energy infrastructure continued.
Even as the Iran war spreads across the Middle East, President Trump reaffirmed his intent to reshape Iran's power structure. He told reporters aboard Air Force One: "We will continue airstrikes until all potential Iranian leaders are eliminated and the Iranian military is destroyed." However, according to a classified National Intelligence Council (NIC) report obtained by The Washington Post, regime change in Iran would not be easy even if the U.S. chose all-out war.