Photo: EPA.
The Council of Experts of Iran has officially announced the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader of the country. This decision was announced in a statement from the state body published in the early hours of March 9, as reported by DW.
Earlier, on the morning of March 8, information emerged from several members of the Council of Experts that the decision to appoint a new Supreme Leader had already been made. This came just a week after the elimination of Ali Khamenei as a result of a military operation conducted by the U.S. and Israel.
According to information received from sources in the country, on March 3 it was reported that 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei had been appointed to the position of Supreme Leader, although details remained unknown. DW
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on the same day their intentions to pursue anyone who takes the position of Supreme Leader after Ali Khamenei.
U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting on the appointment, stated that the new Supreme Leader "won't last long" if Tehran does not receive approval from the White House. He added that he does not want to revisit this issue every ten years and hopes that Iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons, as reported by ABC News.
About Mojtaba Khamenei
The "Russian Service of the BBC" provided a biography of the new Supreme Leader of Iran.Mojtaba Khamenei, born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad, is the second of six children of Ali Khamenei. He received his education at the Alavi religious school in Tehran.
According to Iranian sources, at the age of 17, he served several short stints in the military during the Iran-Iraq War.
In 1999, Mojtaba went to Qom, which is considered an important center of Shia theology, to continue his religious education.
Currently, he remains a mid-ranking cleric, which may pose a barrier to his further advancement to the position of Supreme Leader.
However, in recent days, some media and officials close to the government have begun referring to him as "ayatollah," which is a high spiritual title. In the Iranian religious system, obtaining this title is one of the requirements for being elected as a leader.
It is noteworthy that Ali Khamenei also received the title of "ayatollah" shortly before he became Supreme Leader in 1989.
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Two days ago, on February 28, Israel and the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran, and Trump confirmed the intention to destroy the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.In response, Iran launched an offensive on territories in Israel and other Middle Eastern countries where American military bases are located. Strikes were carried out against Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai (UAE), as well as Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
As a result of the U.S.-Israeli operation, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed, and shortly thereafter, his wife, Mansoureh Khodjasteh, died from her injuries.
Trump also noted that the military operation in Iran would last about four weeks. In response, Iran declared jihad against the U.S. and Israel, stating that negotiations would not take place.
The situation in the Middle East has global consequences, including an impact on Kyrgyzstan, where thousands of tourists are currently stranded in the UAE. Contact information for embassies and consulates for Kyrgyz citizens abroad can be found here.
