Iran’s new supreme leader is ‘his father on steroids,’ experts warn of hardline rule

"Think of Mojtaba Khamenei arsenic his begetter connected steroids."

That is however Kasra Aarabi, manager of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps probe astatine the advocacy radical United Against Nuclear Iran, described Iran’s caller ultimate person successful comments to Fox News Digital pursuing reports that the lad of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been selected to pb the Islamic Republic.

"Mojtaba was already operating arsenic a ‘mini ultimate leader’ successful the Bayt-e Rahbari — his father’s bureau and the halfway nucleus of powerfulness successful the regime," Aarabi said.

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File photograph shows Mojtaba Khamenei, lad of Iran's precocious Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attending a objection to people Jerusalem time successful Tehran.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"His begetter had created the Bayt’s extended apparatus arsenic a hidden powerfulness operation to guarantee continuity should helium beryllium eliminated — and done Mojtaba’s appointment, this is precisely what we volition get," Aarabi said.

President Donald Trump besides reacted to Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise. In an interrogation with the New York Post, Trump said helium was "not blessed with" the younger Khamenei replacing his begetter arsenic person of Iran’s theocratic strategy but declined to elaborate connected however the United States mightiness respond. "Not going to archer you," Trump said erstwhile asked astir his plans regarding the caller ultimate leader. "Not going to archer you. I’m not blessed with him."

An Iranian root with cognition of the enactment modulation told Fox News Digital that earlier speculation Mojtaba mightiness prosecute reforms present appears improbable fixed the circumstances surrounding his appointment.

"Previously determination were whispers suggesting that if Mojtaba were to go the leader, helium mightiness present reforms that would some unfastened up the home governmental abstraction and bring a much interactive attack to overseas policy," the root said.

"However, present this anticipation seems precise weak."

Mojtaba was chosen "amid disputes, controversies, and unit from the IRGC," according to the source, meaning helium "owes his assignment to their enactment and truthful cannot enactment against their wishes."

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Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) successful occidental Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Built wrong Iran’s information state

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has spent decades gathering power wrong the powerfulness structures surrounding Iran’s ultimate leader.

Born successful 1969 successful Mashhad, helium pursued clerical studies successful Tehran, Iran, aft the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought his begetter to prominence. Over time, however, analysts accidental his power developed little done accepted clerical authorization and much done Iran’s information institutions.

In 2019, the United States sanctioned Mojtaba nether Executive Order 13867. The U.S. Treasury Department said helium had been "representing the ultimate person successful an authoritative capableness contempt ne'er being elected oregon appointed to a authorities presumption speech from enactment successful the bureau of his father."

Behnam Ben Taleblu, elder manager of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Iran Program, said Mojtaba’s inheritance reflects a broader displacement wrong the Islamic Republic.

People clasp placards with an representation of Iran's caller ultimate person Mojtaba Khamenei with precocious Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a gathering to enactment Mojtaba Khamenei, amid the U.S.-Israeli struggle with Iran, successful Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026.  (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) Via Reuters)

"Despite donning a turban, Mojtaba is the merchandise of the regime’s nationalist information heavy state," Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. "Expect him to enactment with and done the IRGC to support his clasp connected power."

Aarabi said Mojtaba has spent years consolidating power down the scenes.

"His past tells america helium enjoys micromanaging each facet of authorization to fulfill his thirst for power," Aarabi said, describing however Mojtaba allegedly relocated IRGC bid centers to his bureau during protests, engineered predetermination outcomes and installed loyalists crossed authorities institutions.

Since 2019, Aarabi added, Mojtaba has besides been implementing what helium described arsenic his father’s effort to "purify" the authorities by promoting ideological loyalists crossed the governmental system.

"Mojtaba is simply a profoundly antisemitic, anti-American, and anti-Western ideologue," Aarabi said. "He has personally been progressive successful repression successful Iran and panic plots abroad."

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Kashmiri Shiite Muslims transportation pictures of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei arsenic they march successful a protestation rally connected the 4th time of mourning successful Magam, Jammu and Kashmir, connected March 4, 2026. (Faisal Khan/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Analysts spot harder enactment ahead

Analysts accidental Mojtaba’s emergence whitethorn further fortify the relation of Iran’s information institutions.

"The emergence of the younger Khamenei expedites trendlines seen successful Iranian authorities and nationalist information for years," Ben Taleblu said. "From 1 Khamenei to another, things successful Iran tin beryllium expected to spell from atrocious to worse if this authorities survives."

"And similar the elder Khamenei, corruption runs successful the family," helium added.

Ben Taleblu warned that the authorities whitethorn besides escalate tensions externally arsenic a endurance strategy.

"The authorities knows it is weak, but believes it tin extract a terms and widen a situation successful bid to survive," helium said.

For absorption groups wrong Iran, the enactment modulation signals continuity alternatively than reform.

"He's the lad of Khamenei and they person aforesaid ideology and they aforesaid strategy and they effort to proceed the aforesaid policy," said Khalid Azizi, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran.

"So acold it's precise hard to accidental what helium volition beryllium done and is helium going to person a antithetic policy? I don't expect this."

The Iranian root who spoke with Fox News Digital said that portion engagement with the United States and the West is theoretically imaginable successful the future, the chances stay slim.

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On March 1, 2026, successful Sana'a, Yemen. pro-Iran protesters brandish billboards depicting the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, flags of Yemen and Iran, weapons, and chant slogans astatine a rally held to condemn the U.S.-Israel aerial attacks connected Iran and the sidesplitting of Khamenei and respective subject officials. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

"As I mentioned," the root said, "this anticipation is precise weak."

"In short," Aarabi said, "Mojtaba is his begetter connected steroids. He’s surely nary MBS."