Is Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ill? Who is Mojtaba Khamenei ...

Amid speculation that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is ill, reports have emerged that he has picked his second son as his successor. Who is Mojtaba Khamenei and why is this position so important to Tehran?

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Iran's Ambassador in Lebanon Mojtaba Amani, who was wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah detonated on September across Lebanon, in Tehran, Iran, on November 17, 2024. The image was posted on Khamenei's X handle amid speculation about his health. Reuters

Amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, there is speculation over the health of the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Unsourced reports shared largely on social media claim that the 85-year-old cleric is reportedly in a coma. Some claim that he is dead.

However, while Iran has not responded to the rumours, Khamenei posted a picture of himself meeting an Iranian ambassador.

What do we know about Ayatollah Khamenei’s health?

Israeli media outlet Ynet News, citing Iran International, reported that Khamenei is suffering from a severe illness. There have also been unsourced reports on social media that he was either in a coma or dead.

However, misinformation researcher Tal Hagin has pointed out that some of the images flooding social media are from 2014.

— Tal Hagin (@talhagin) November 16, 2024

There has been growing speculation about the Supreme Leader’s health amid the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. The rumours have only gathered steam after a report in The New York Times said that the ageing Iranian leader is “seriously ill”. But Iranian authorities have neither denied nor confirmed these claims.

So will succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader?

According to the report in Ynetews, which quotes Iran International, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already picked a successor – his son Mojtaba Khamenei.

The second son of the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly selected during a secret meeting of the Assembly of Experts on September 26.

Ayatollah Khamenei called for an unusual meeting in September where 60 members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts convened. They were instructed to decide on the succession immediately. While the gathering was a top secret, the members were not giving any notice about what was expected of them, according to the report.

There was some resistance to the process as well as the choice of the successor. However, the Assembly of Experts was coerced by the Supreme Leader and his representatives to pick Mojtaba Khamenei. A unanimous decision was finally taken after the insistence, which involved threats, the report says.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on October 27. There has been speculation that he is ill. Reuters

The meeting and the decision were kept a secret because of the fears of widespread protests over the succession plan and the undemocratic process in which the next leader was picked. Those who attended were warned that any leaks would have repercussions.

While his pick comes as no surprise, his appointment is expected to raise eyebrows because he lacks experience and has not held any formal positions in the Iranian government.

Some sources familiar with the meeting have said that there is a possibility that Ayatollah might hand over the reins to his son during his lifetime, as this might make the transition smoother. They believe that this could help secure Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership and curb any opposition that might arise after the Supreme Leader’s death, the Ynet report says.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits Hezbollah’s office in Tehran, Iran, October 1, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters

“Technically, the Assembly of Experts is responsible for electing the future supreme leader. As with other institutions, however, it is the supreme leader who ultimately exercises authority over the assembly and not vice versa,” wrote Kalpana Jain, a senior religion and ethics editor and director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative in The Conversation.

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

The second son of Ayatollah, Mojtaba Khamenei was born in Mashhad in 1969. He was trained by influential teachers as he studied theology and became a cleric like his father. He teaches theology at the Qom Seminary, the largest Islamic seminary in Iran, even today.

Mojtaba Khamenei has largely stayed out of the public eye. Over the past two years, he has gained significance in Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei has become more active in Iranian politics and has played a role in decision-making in the regime.

A supporter takes a selfie with Mojtaba Khamenei. Image courtesy: @Sayyid_Mojtaba/X

In the elections held in 2005 and 2009, Mojtaba Khamenei supported Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He is said to have played a role in the president’s win in 2009 and reportedly suppressed protests that erupted in Iran after the election.

However, relations between the two soured after Ahmadinejad accused Mojtaba of embezzling funds from the state treasury.

In 2021, Mojtaba Khamenei was granted the title of ayatollah, which is a constitutional requirement to serve as Iran’s supreme leader.

What has Iran said about Ayatollah’s health and succession?

Iran has not made any formal announcement on the succession. The reports of Ayatollah’s health and selection of Mojtaba remain speculative.

However, a day after the reports on the coma, the Supreme Leader on Sunday (17 November) posted a picture with an Iranian ambassador. The image posted on Khamenei’s X account shows him talking to Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani in his office.

“Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, met and talked with Mr Mojtaba Amani, the veteran ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon, at noon today, on the sidelines of his daily meetings,” he wrote in Persian.

ظهر امروز یکشنبه ۲۷ آبان ۱۴۰۳؛ دیدار و گفت‌وگو با آقای مجتبی امانی، سفیر جانباز جمهوری اسلامی ایران در لبنان pic.twitter.com/ctIRbi9bVA

— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی ???????? (@Khamenei_fa) November 17, 2024

Amani was among those injured in Beirut in September in Israel’s pager attacks that targeted Hezbollah operatives.

According to an official statement, Amani presented a report of his latest health status to the Supreme Leader. Both the leaders look well in the latest image.

Before this, Ayatollah Khamenei was seen on 7 November when he addressed the sixth session of the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership within the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah, a mosque in Tehran. He also met university students in Tehran on 2 November.

One of his most-talked-about appearances in 2024 was the sermon he gave – a first in five years – on October 5 after Iran launched 180 missiles targeting Israel. Addressing tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei justified its missile strikes on Israel as a “public service”. He said Israel “won’t last long” as he backed the Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel.

Israel and Iran have seen tensions escalate after the October 7 Hamas attack on the Jewish nation. The two sides have attacked each other, raising fears of a wider war in West Asia. Both Hamas and Hezbollah, which are engaged in conflict with Israel are Iran’s proxies.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with students in Tehran, Iran, November 2, 2024. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/ReutersWhat is the role of the Supreme Leader in Iran?

Ayatollah Khamenei is the most powerful and influential figure in Iran. He is the longest-serving head of state in West Asia. He took over as Supreme Leader in 1989 when he was serving as the president of Iran.

Ayatollah Khamenei succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of the Iranian Revolution, after he died. The two are the only men who have held the post since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.

According to Iran’s Constitution, the Supreme Leader is responsible for the “general policies” of the Islamic Republic. He is the final authority on domestic and foreign policies.

He is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and controls the Islamic Republic’s intelligence and security operations. He also decides whether to declare war or give a call for peace.

People walk past a mural depicting the late leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a building in a street in Tehran, Iran, October 7, 2024. Reuters

The Supreme Leader has the power to appoint and dismiss the leaders of the judiciary, the state radio and television networks, and the supreme commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He picks six of the 12 members of the Council of Guardians, the powerful body that oversees Parliament activities and determines which candidates are qualified to run for public office, according to a PBS report.

He operates through approximately 2,000 representatives, part of different sectors of the government. They can intervene in matters of the state, and are, in some aspects, more powerful than ministers, the report says.

The Supreme Leader then is at the top of the power structure and second to him comes the president.

With inputs from agencies