The previous “supreme leader” was killed in the opening moments of Operation Epic Fury last week along with dozens of other high-ranking Iranian officials. The 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was only the second Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, following the leader of the 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khamenei’s second son Mojtaba has been a reclusive figure until now, often seen orbiting the highest levels of power in the Iranian theocracy but rarely stepping into the spotlight. He has no official resume and no previous positions of responsibility.
As Al-Mayadeen delicately put it on Monday, Mojtaba Khamenei “ascended through informal channels, building an extensive network of relationships across Iran’s security apparatus, religious institutions, and political circles.” Al-Mayadeen struggled to make Mojtaba look like a refreshing out-of-the-box choice for supreme leader, praising the “scholarly foundation” that supposedly distinguishes him from other “Iranian political figures,” but this is a tormented way of saying that the younger Khamenei has no real experience at governing — and his selection might annoy Iranians who believe in the Islamic Republic’s mythology of revolution against the hereditary monarchy of the Shah of Iran. (Ed nore: It is said that the son has very close ties to theAs Al-Mayadeen delicately put it on Monday, Mojtaba Khamenei “ascended through informal channels, building an extensive network of relationships across Iran’s security apparatus, religious institutions, and political circles.”
Al-Mayadeen struggled to make Mojtaba look like a refreshing out-of-the-box choice for supreme leader, praising the “scholarly foundation” that supposedly distinguishes him from other “Iranian political figures,” but this is a tormented way of saying that the younger Khamenei has no real experience at governing — and his selection might annoy Iranians who believe in the Islamic Republic’s mythology of revolution against the hereditary monarchy of the Shah of Iran. (Ed note: It is said that the son has very close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Does the apple fall far from the tree?) (Read More)
