Iran’s Assembly of Experts has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic. After the decision, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pledged loyalty to the new leader, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the appointment as a step toward strengthening national unity.
According to media reports, the 56-year-old Mojtaba had been the leading contender for the post. The New York Times had earlier reported that his candidacy was strongly promoted within the IRGC. Sources cited by Novaya-Europe said he enjoys support both among religious circles and the security establishment, is seen as more hardline than his father, and has never held formal state office.
Iran’s General Staff said the armed forces under the new command would become “even more powerful and unshakable” and would make their opponents regret their aggression.
Vladimir Putin congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his appointment, expressed support for Tehran, and said Russia remains a reliable partner of the Islamic Republic. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had warned even before the appointment that any Iranian leader continuing a course aimed at destroying Israel and threatening the United States would become a target for elimination. Donald Trump, according to Axios, also sharply criticized the decision and said he would not accept the new leader.
Market reaction
At the same time, the war in the Middle East triggered a sharp rise in energy prices. Brent crude climbed above $100 a barrel, reaching levels last seen in the summer of 2022, while gas prices in Europe rose above $800 per 1,000 cubic meters. One reason was the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and reduced output from the region’s biggest producers.
Tatyana Mitrova, an expert at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, told Novaya-Europe that if the active phase of the conflict ends quickly, the market could begin correcting within weeks. Even after a formal end to hostilities, however, a risk premium may remain, and if infrastructure suffers serious damage, recovery could take years.