The second son of the late Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been appointed as Iran’s new supreme leader, according to state media reports.
The 56-year-old was confirmed as his father’s successor on Sunday following a vote by the Assembly of Experts, the group of clerics responsible for selecting the country’s highest authority.
His father died last Saturday following joint military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel.
In recent years, Khamenei—considered close to his late father—had increasingly been viewed as a possible successor, although he had never publicly addressed the issue.
Ahead of the announcement, Hossein Ali Eshkevari, a member of the Assembly of Experts, revealed that the body had completed its vote and selected a candidate.
“The name of Khamenei will continue,” Eshkevari said in a video published by Iranian media.
“The vote has been cast and will be announced soon.”
In the Iran, the supreme leader holds ultimate authority over all state matters within the Islamic Republic of Iran, ranking above the president.
Khamenei’s rise to the position may create a dynastic leadership similar to that of the Pahlavi dynasty prior to the Iranian Revolution.
On Friday, Reza Pahlavi said he had accepted the “call” to become the country’s next leader.
Pahlavi is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and is widely regarded as the most prominent opposition figure challenging the Iranian government.
Meanwhile, the White House has not yet publicly responded to the news of Khamenei’s appointment.
Earlier, Donald Trump warned that the next Iranian supreme leader “is not going to last long” if the Middle Eastern country fails to obtain America’s approval.
Trump has repeatedly insisted he must be consulted before Iran selects its leadership, a proposal that Tehran has rejected.
In a statement, the Assembly of Experts said Khamenei was chosen through a “decisive vote”.
The clerical body also urged Iranians, “especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities”, to remain united and express support for Khamenei.