In the early hours of Monday, March 8, the Assembly of Experts issued a statement announcing that Mojtaba Khamenei had been elected as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran with a clear majority of votes. The statement also referred to him as “Ayatollah.”
Earlier, some media outlets reported that the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei was made under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but for various reasons, his official announcement had been delayed until now.
Hours before the official declaration, Ali Hosseini-Ashkouri, a member of the Assembly of Experts, had reported that the new leader was chosen with a clear majority of the experts’ votes, and the Khamenei name would continue as the leader of the Islamic Republic.
This announcement comes as former U.S. President Donald Trump warned that without approval from the White House, the new leader in Iran would not last. In an interview with ABC News, Trump said:
“If the new leader does not receive our approval, he will not last long. We do not want to have to return every ten years, especially when a president like me is not in office.”
Trump also added that he does not want people to face the same situation five years from now or allow the Islamic Republic’s officials to gain access to nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has also warned that if a successor to Ali Khamenei is appointed, it will take necessary actions against him and the members of the Assembly of Experts intending to select the new leader.
Last Updated on 9, March 2026 by admin | Published: 9, March 2026
