New Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei lost several family members in war: Reports

Reports suggest that his wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, and one of his two sons were killed in strikes linked to the campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear programme, which began more than two weeks ago. Mojtaba Khamenei also has a daughter, bringing his total number of children to three.

His father, Ali Khamenei, who served as Iran’s Supreme Leader until his death, was also killed during the war. There are further reports that Mojtaba Khamenei’s mother, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, died in one of the airstrikes.

If confirmed, the deaths would bring the number of immediate family members of the new Supreme Leader killed during the conflict to four.

Some reports have suggested that additional relatives may also have died. However, these claims could not be independently verified.

Iranian media outlets have reported that Mojtaba Khamenei may also have lost a sister, a nephew, a niece and a brother-in-law in the strikes, which would take the total number of extended family members killed to eight.

There are conflicting reports about the identities of those who died.

Ali Khamenei had four sons and two daughters, meaning the grandchildren reported killed could belong to the families of any of his six children.

Rise to power

Mojtaba Khamenei was recently appointed Iran’s new Supreme Leader by an 88-member body of clerics. The body did not disclose the margin of the vote.

His elevation has been welcomed by both China and Russia. Widely regarded as a hardliner, Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to have spent years consolidating influence within Iran’s power structure, particularly through ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Analysts say the succession had been quietly developing for years and was accelerated by his father’s death during the conflict.

International reactions

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, suggested Washington would closely watch the transition.

“If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long,” Trump said in an interview with ABC News. Speaking later to the Times of Israel, he added: “We’ll see what happens.”

Before the announcement, Israel had warned it could target whoever was chosen as Iran’s next Supreme Leader, though no follow-up action has been announced.

War continues

Despite the leadership transition, fighting continued on Monday as Israeli forces launched another round of strikes on central Iran and also targeted Hezbollah-linked infrastructure in Beirut.

The human toll of the conflict continues to rise. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said 1,332 civilians have been killed and thousands wounded in the war so far.

The United States also confirmed that a seventh American soldier had died while receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the conflict.

As Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei now holds ultimate authority over Iran’s political, military and religious institutions, making the role the most powerful position in the country.