Donald Trump claims the remnants of the Iranian regime are looking for an olive branch. The election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader suggests otherwise.
Khamenei, the second son of the late Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an air strike on Saturday, is a shadowy, hardline conservative figure with deep links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Having reportedly supplied the intelligence to take out one ayatollah Khamenei, the US is unlikely to look favourably on another one rising in his place.
And from the potentially new supreme leader’s perspective, the recent bombing campaigns have killed his father, mother, wife and son, while shattering its navy, missile depots and nuclear programme.
Given his background, he could hardly have seen the US as anything but an implacable enemy. But the events of recent days will have given a personal edge to that hatred.
Since he began bombing Iran on Saturday, Mr Trump has sounded uncertain about who or what would succeed the late ayatollah’s regime.
In Venezuela, where US special forces snatched Nicolás Maduro from his compound in early January, Delcy Rodríguez had been identified by the intelligence services as a figure who could guarantee stability while working with Washington.
Not so in Iran. Mr Trump has given little indication of what comes next beyond calling on the Iranian people to seize control of the government and noting that the late ayatollah’s potential successors were all dead.
What comes next is expected to be Mojtaba Khamenei, who on Sunday was elected by Iran’s most senior clerics as the next supreme leader.
I give it three days before the coalition takes him out.
Stahlmark on
Mossad, CIA do the funni please.
shwaamon on
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s most senior clerics.
mountaindog36 on
* From the Telegraph….
Immediately stops reading.
One-Strength-1978 on
We don’t know.
levbron on
Selecting a new Pope and selecting a new Supreme Leader are similar. Both end with smoke coming from a building.
_segasonic on
And he’ll be gone in 3…2…
bizikletari on
Ruthless? Is there knowledge about that, or you’re assuming that because he is an Iranian cleric and the son of the assassinated atatollah?
shadowfax12221 on
They’re just going to keep playing whackamole with these people just like israel did with hezbollah. There are like 4000 mullahs in Iran, this is a waste of time.
VolumeInformal2765 on
They should nt have revealed him now mossad will target him
universemonitor on
I wonder who else falls under “Ruthless” definition.
vovap_vovap on
That clear indication that now really Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ruling the country. He is their man and not a Islamic cleric. It is also pretty bed for Iran and those idiots pushed him particularly. It might cost US, but he will be dead and many of them with him. And that pretty likely that things end up with killing IRGC on the streets.
BadgerBoiXXX on
His whole family was just bombed to death. There must be some Game of Thrones-level of vengeance and bloodlust in this guy. Jfc.
tavo791 on
Ruthless huh? Like bombing a school or making it rain oil on the citizens?
mayorolivia on
No surprise here. Iranian regime doubling down and won’t reform. Once war is over they’ll become even more repressive on their population. Best Israel and US can hope for is they degrade Iran’s ability to meddle externally. But it’s going to become even more brutal for Iranians.
haveilostmymindor on
Well if the Iranian people hated the father and the son is worse i pity the Iranian people if the American and Israelis dont take him out. I suspect though he isnt long for this world.
DefinitelyNotMeee on
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new 9/11 (this time maybe with a nuke) in the next decade or so.
existentialgolem on
This guy is worth tens of billions of dollars, has multiple personal palaces. He’s not got any major religious ranking.
Not certain but on paper he looks like one of the key guys controlling the entire IRGC web of wealth and investments and has in the process personally enriched himself
geauxtigers77 on
This is a seeming “break” from Iranian standards. They traditionally didn’t look favorably upon nepotism. Not to mention they revolted against it before. Maybe it’s an attempt to signal regime stability to the Iranian people. Maybe it’s a sign cracks are forming. Time will tell
Edit to add: Ali Khamenei even expressed hesitancy for his son to take over previously
SovietNato on
The US is currently commiting war crime after war crime unprovoked. Calling the son of the person we just assassinated “ruthless” when we’re the obviously evil force in the world is absolutely nasty.
Then again, I never expected the brits to feel any shame for their blatant contempt for humanity.
kondenado on
Mmmmm
A almost – nuclear capable dictatorship.
US has killed hid family (father, mother, wife and son).
23 Comments
**From The Telegraph:**
Donald Trump claims the remnants of the Iranian regime are looking for an olive branch. The election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader suggests otherwise.
Khamenei, the second son of the late Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an air strike on Saturday, is a shadowy, hardline conservative figure with deep links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Having reportedly supplied the intelligence to take out one ayatollah Khamenei, the US is unlikely to look favourably on another one rising in his place.
And from the potentially new supreme leader’s perspective, the recent bombing campaigns have killed his father, mother, wife and son, while shattering its navy, missile depots and nuclear programme.
Given his background, he could hardly have seen the US as anything but an implacable enemy. But the events of recent days will have given a personal edge to that hatred.
Since he began bombing Iran on Saturday, Mr Trump has sounded uncertain about who or what would succeed the late ayatollah’s regime.
In Venezuela, where US special forces snatched Nicolás Maduro from his compound in early January, Delcy Rodríguez had been identified by the intelligence services as a figure who could guarantee stability while working with Washington.
Not so in Iran. Mr Trump has given little indication of what comes next beyond calling on the Iranian people to seize control of the government and noting that the late ayatollah’s potential successors were all dead.
What comes next is expected to be Mojtaba Khamenei, who on Sunday was elected by Iran’s most senior clerics as the next supreme leader.
**Read more here:** [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/03/04/mojtaba-khamenei-ayatollah-son-iran-regime/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_reddit_khamenei-ayatollah-son-iran-regime/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/03/04/mojtaba-khamenei-ayatollah-son-iran-regime/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_reddit_khamenei-ayatollah-son-iran-regime/)
I give it three days before the coalition takes him out.
Mossad, CIA do the funni please.
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s most senior clerics.
* From the Telegraph….
Immediately stops reading.
We don’t know.
Selecting a new Pope and selecting a new Supreme Leader are similar. Both end with smoke coming from a building.
And he’ll be gone in 3…2…
Ruthless? Is there knowledge about that, or you’re assuming that because he is an Iranian cleric and the son of the assassinated atatollah?
They’re just going to keep playing whackamole with these people just like israel did with hezbollah. There are like 4000 mullahs in Iran, this is a waste of time.
They should nt have revealed him now mossad will target him
I wonder who else falls under “Ruthless” definition.
That clear indication that now really Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ruling the country. He is their man and not a Islamic cleric. It is also pretty bed for Iran and those idiots pushed him particularly. It might cost US, but he will be dead and many of them with him. And that pretty likely that things end up with killing IRGC on the streets.
His whole family was just bombed to death. There must be some Game of Thrones-level of vengeance and bloodlust in this guy. Jfc.
Ruthless huh? Like bombing a school or making it rain oil on the citizens?
No surprise here. Iranian regime doubling down and won’t reform. Once war is over they’ll become even more repressive on their population. Best Israel and US can hope for is they degrade Iran’s ability to meddle externally. But it’s going to become even more brutal for Iranians.
Well if the Iranian people hated the father and the son is worse i pity the Iranian people if the American and Israelis dont take him out. I suspect though he isnt long for this world.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new 9/11 (this time maybe with a nuke) in the next decade or so.
This guy is worth tens of billions of dollars, has multiple personal palaces. He’s not got any major religious ranking.
Not certain but on paper he looks like one of the key guys controlling the entire IRGC web of wealth and investments and has in the process personally enriched himself
This is a seeming “break” from Iranian standards. They traditionally didn’t look favorably upon nepotism. Not to mention they revolted against it before. Maybe it’s an attempt to signal regime stability to the Iranian people. Maybe it’s a sign cracks are forming. Time will tell
Edit to add: Ali Khamenei even expressed hesitancy for his son to take over previously
The US is currently commiting war crime after war crime unprovoked. Calling the son of the person we just assassinated “ruthless” when we’re the obviously evil force in the world is absolutely nasty.
Then again, I never expected the brits to feel any shame for their blatant contempt for humanity.
Mmmmm
A almost – nuclear capable dictatorship.
US has killed hid family (father, mother, wife and son).
So this is the guy Trump picked?