Mojtaba Khamenei replaces his assassinated father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A new supreme leader in Iran – Mojtaba Khamenei – has replaced his assassinated father.
His selection sends a defiant message to the United States and Israel as they attack the country.
So, who is Iran’s new leader – and what does his appointment mean?
Presenter: Tom McRae
Guests:
Hassan Ahmadian – Associate professor at the University of Tehran
Mehran Kamrava – Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar and director of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies
Alex Vatanka – Senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC
Published On 9 Mar 2026