From parents to wife to nephews: War tears through Mojtaba Khamenei’s family as he rises to lead Iran

Mojtaba Khameini

• Mojtaba Khamenei's family members killed in recent airstrikes
• He is now Iran's Supreme Leader, backed by China and Russia
• Civilian deaths in Iran have reached 1,332 amid ongoing conflict

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Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the country’s newly appointed top authority, has reportedly lost multiple family members during the ongoing war involving Israel and the United States.

According to Iranian media reports, Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, and one of his two sons were killed in airstrikes carried out over Iran in the past two weeks amid tensions surrounding the country’s nuclear programme. He is reported to have three children in total, including a daughter.

His father, Ali Khamenei, who served as Iran’s Supreme Leader until his death, was the first member of the family to die during the conflict. Reports have also said Mojtaba Khamenei’s mother, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, was killed in one of the strikes.

Based on these accounts, at least four immediate members of the new leader’s family are believed to have been killed.

Separate reports have suggested that four more close relatives may also have died in the airstrikes.

Iranian media outlets have reported that those additional deaths include Mojtaba Khamenei’s sister, a nephew, a niece and a brother-in-law. If confirmed, the total number of relatives from his extended family killed during the conflict could rise to eight.

However, details regarding the identities of those killed remain unclear, with conflicting information about the names of the victims. Ali Khamenei had six children, including four sons and two daughters, and the grandchildren reported to have died could belong to any of their families.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader has received support from both China and Russia. The decision was taken by an 88-member body of clerics, though the margin of the vote was not disclosed.

Known as a hardline cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei had spent years building influence within the country’s power structure. Reports suggest he strengthened his position through close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and by overseeing business networks that operated alongside the state system.

His rise to the position of Supreme Leader is widely seen as the culmination of a succession process that had been developing quietly for years, with his father’s death accelerating the transition.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump weighed in on the leadership change. "If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long," Trump told ABC News on Sunday. By Monday, Trump told the Times of Israel: "We'll see what happens."

Ahead of the leadership announcement, Israel had warned that it could target whoever was selected as Iran’s next Supreme Leader, though it did not provide any further comment after the appointment.

As Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei now holds the highest authority in Iran, with control over the country’s political and military institutions.

The conflict, however, has shown no sign of slowing during the leadership transition. Israel’s military carried out another wave of strikes on central Iran on Monday and also targeted infrastructure linked to Hezbollah in Beirut.

The toll from the conflict has continued to rise. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said civilian deaths had reached 1,332, with thousands more injured. The United States also confirmed that a seventh American soldier had died while undergoing medical treatment.