State media in Iran reported early Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been named his father’s successor.
The 56-year-old, appointed by a council of clerics, is reportedly a proponent of the country’s hardline theocratic rule and is expected to continue the resistance to the regime change sought by the U.S. and Israel, according to early reports.
Before the announcement, Israel warned that any successor named by the council would be a target of the ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
U.S. President Trump said Sunday that Iran’s new leader “is not going to last long” if the country’s leaders do not get his approval. The Israel Defense Forces also warned that any successor would be considered a target.
