In a story published by The Times of Israel on March 9, 2026, the foreign minister of Israel stated that Mojtaba Khamenei’s hands were still covered in the blood that characterized his father’s protracted rule.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s hands, in his words, are already tainted by the bloodshed that marked his father’s reign.
He came to the conclusion that yet another tyrant has risen up to continue the Iranian regime’s history of violence.
During the first day of the combined US-Israeli military offensive against Iran, it was reported that Israel killed Khamenei’s father, the supreme leader since 1989.
In public, Israeli authorities stated that they would hunt out and go after anyone selected to take over for the elder Khamenei.
This move marks a significant and contentious chapter in Iran’s modern history.
Immediately following the coordinated strikes that killed the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, assumed the highest position of power.
Those actions aimed to weaken the Islamic Republic’s command structure and restrict its capacity to exert influence throughout the area.
The previous leader maintained a tight grip for many years, ruling over recorded repression, backing for armed proxies, and ongoing nuclear endeavors that drew international condemnation.
Mojtaba, who had previously been recognized as a powerful player within his father’s inner circle, is currently the top leader at the center of the ongoing conflict.
Since the 1979 revolution, this was the first time there has been a direct father-to-son transfer of power, according to insiders, and his choice was supported by the Assembly of Experts despite intense pressure from the Revolutionary Guard.