TEHRAN — Mojtaba Khamenei formally succeeded his father as Iran's supreme leader on March 4, 2026. This followed a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026, which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and marked the first day of a war against Iran.

Since his succession, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly. No videos, audio recordings, or current photographs of him have been released since February 28, 2026. Iranian television networks have aired AI-generated videos depicting Mojtaba Khamenei delivering speeches, and written statements attributed to him have been read by anchors on state television or posted on his Telegram channel.

Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly sustained severe and disfiguring injuries to his legs and face during the airstrike that killed his father. US officials believe Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and participating in decision-making. He authorized negotiators to carry out direct talks with the United States last month in a published statement.

The supreme leader of Iran holds the last say over all foreign and domestic policies and serves as commander in chief of Iran's conventional military and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps. Hussein Banai, a professor at Indiana University Bloomington, said in a podcast interview: "There is evidence that the power that the supreme leader exercises has diminished significantly." "The president says what he wants, the speaker says what he wants," Banai said. "There isn't any coordination."

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East program at Chatham House, said in a podcast interview: "There's no one commander in chief." "Everyone is fighting for their relevance in this next iteration of the Islamic Republic," Vakil said. "The system is in control of the system." A public funeral for Ali Khamenei is scheduled for July 4, 2026, in Tehran.