Will Iran’s new supreme leader be ‘hell bent on revenge'(Picture: EPA / Getty)
Iran’s new supreme leader narrowly avoided death after a US-Israeli strike wiped out most of his immediate family.
Gathering for Ramadan in the same bunker, Mojtaba Khamenei’s father Ali Khamenei, mother Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, his wife of 20 years Zahra and one of his sons, reported as Mohammad were all killed in the strike that launched the war.
Mojtaba Khamenei suffered a fractured foot, a bruise around his left eye, as well as minor lacerations to his face, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
Now Iran fears his period of rule will be centred around personal revenge and not what is best for the people.
By killing his father, did Donald Trump unleash a bigger monster on the Middle East by merely replacing him with a son hellbent on revenge for the death of his entire family?
Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of late Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a rally in Tehran (Picture: via REUTERS)
What do experts say?
His father’s death only hastened a succession that had been quietly in motion for years.
Dr Katayoun Shahandeh, a Lecturer in History of Art and Museology, told Metro: ‘It is very likely that retaliation and resistance will become central themes in Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership, at least in rhetoric.
‘The strikes that killed the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (Mojtaba’s father) and members of his family will inevitably shape the political atmosphere in Tehran.
‘Reports suggest that Mojtaba himself was injured in the same attack and lost close relatives, which makes the moment not only political but deeply personal.’
She added that Iran’s revenge is likely to be more strategic than emotional.
‘Even when leaders speak in terms of revenge, responses are usually calculated within the framework of deterrence and long-term geopolitical positioning,’ Dr Shahandeh explains.
Mojtaba has long been associated with networks close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and many believe his elevation was strongly supported by the feared Revolutionary Guards.
Protesters start a bonfire in the middle of Tehran. Hundreds, mostly students, were killed in the crackdown (Picture: AP)
He was also widely believed to have played a role behind the scenes during the crackdown on the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests (known as the Green Movement), which gave him a reputation as a hardliner within Iranian political circles.
She added: ‘Mojtaba Khamenei is likely to be a very different kind of Supreme Leader from his father. Unlike Ali Khamenei, he is not widely regarded as a senior cleric within the Shiʿi religious establishment, and he does not have the same religious authority traditionally associated with the role.
‘As a result, his leadership style may be more discreet, more security-focused, and more dependent on political alliances within the system, especially with the IRGC. Rather than acting primarily as a religious authority, he may function more as a political and strategic coordinator at the apex of the state.’
Ian is attacking cargo ships like the ‘Mayuree Naree’ near the Strait of Hormuz (Picture: AFP)
Where is Mojtaba Khameni now?
It is unknown.
He is yet to speak publicly since being elected to take his father’s place. The people of Iran have never heard his voice as he operated behind the shadows of his father’s regime.
Iranian ambassador to Iran Alireza Salarian, said the 56-year-old was lucky to survive the strike.
‘He was also there and he was injured in that bombardment but I haven’t seen that reflected in the foreign news,’ he told the Guardian. ‘I have heard that he was injured in his legs and hand and arm … I think he is in the hospital because he is injured.’
He may be in hiding but the IRGC are still active. One of the best ways to retaliate is to hit Trump in the pocket.
The force are believed to be laying sea mines on one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world – the Strait of Hormuz. They say it will not allow ‘a litre of oil’ through the Strait until the price of a barrel ‘tops $200’ a price that will irk even the most enthusiastic MAGA supporter.
A spokesperson for the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said that any vessel linked to the United States and Israel or their allies ‘will be considered a legitimate target’.
The fear has spread to the global markets with ships unable to be insured to go on the journey and marine traffic grinding to a halt.
What has Trump said?
Khamenei the younger’s candidacy may have been indirectly boosted by Donald Trump, who criticised the younger Khamenei in an interview and insisted that he be involved in selecting Iran’s next leader.
‘They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment,’ Trump said, referring to his operation that saw the US military seize former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
‘Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Iran.’
Will Mojtaba Khamenei surrender?
Even with 1,200 people killed in US strikes so far, Dr Shahandeh says no.
‘A rapid surrender by Iran is extremely unlikely. The political identity of the Islamic Republic has long been built around the narrative of resistance to external pressure, particularly from the United States and Israel.
‘In fact, the death of the Supreme Leader in military strikes would make surrender even less plausible in the short term. Any leadership that followed such an event would likely feel compelled to demonstrate resilience rather than capitulation, both to maintain domestic legitimacy and to project strength internationally.’
The younger Khamenei was said to be the ‘power’ behind his father (Picture: AFP)
She added: ‘Trump’s claim [the war will be over in weeks] appears highly optimistic.
‘Conflicts involving Iran rarely unfold quickly because the country’s military and strategic doctrine rely heavily on asymmetric warfare, regional alliances, and long-term pressure rather than purely conventional battle.
‘Of course, Trump may just declare a “win” and withdraw troops, particularly given the fact that this war is unpopular both in the US, among his supporters and in the world at large.’
Even if direct military operations were to slow down or even halt, tensions could continue through proxy actors, regional escalation, cyber operations, and economic confrontation. In other words, the conflict could easily shift into a longer and more complex phase rather than ending quickly.
Is the US in danger?
There have been no direct threats against Trump personally but retaliation has been promised against US forces and allies.
But the FBI has warned police departments in California that Iran could aim drones at the West Coast, according to an alert seen by ABC News.
‘We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United State Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran,’ according to the alert distributed at the end of February.
‘We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.’
The attack seems unlikely with Iran being over 7,500 miles away from the West Coast and with the range of Iran’s preferred Shaheed suicide drone being just over 1,500 miles.
John Cohen, the former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC about the possibility of drone warfare coming from ships strategically placed on the Pacific and from Mexico.
‘We know Iran has an extensive presence in Mexico and South America, they have relationships, they have the drones and now they have the incentive to conduct attacks,’ Cohen said.
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