Iran angered Donald Trump by naming the son of its assassinated supreme leader as his successor - drawing praise from Russian despot Vladimir Putin.
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed by a cabal of senior clerics days after President Trump said he was an “unacceptable choice”.
An assembly of experts, a body of 88 Islamic scholars selected for their loyalty to the hardline regime, anointed the unknown 56-year-old who has reasserted Tehran’s mission to avenge his father’s death.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, supreme leader of Iran for more than 37 years, was killed in his Tehran bunker during the opening salvos of Operation Epic Fury.
Mojtaba Khamenei was not there, but his mother, wife and daughter were killed in the bombing blitz.
One of the first acts after his confirmation as supreme leader was to order a missile attack onIsraelwith sirens ringing out in Tel Aviv and the northern city of Haifa.
There were early signs of dissent with brave protesters - defying orders from the brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to stay inside - taking to the streets of Tehran to chant “Death to Mojtaba” in Persian. Among those whose voices could be heard were women.
Mojtaba Khamenei served in the IRGC but President Trump has described him as a "lightweight" adding: "Khamenei's son (as leader) is unacceptable to me.
"We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran."
Middle East experts said that while Mojtaba has operated under the radar he holds money, power and influence. He remains under US sanctions but is said to have amassed a valuable empire of properties around the world, including in London.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
