IRAN—Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s second son, has been chosen as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian state television and several official media announced Wednesday.

The decision, passed by the Assembly of Experts in a “decisive vote,” comes less than two weeks after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28, 2026 at the outset of what would become an all-out regional war. The announcement is a historic first in the 47-year history of the Islamic Republic: It is the first time direct dynastic succession has taken place at the highest level of power.

Background: The Assassination and the Start of War

On February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces initiated Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated campaign against high-value regime assets throughout Iran. The initial attack hit a secure compound in Tehran where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported to be. He was later confirmed dead by state media, along with several family members, senior aides and security personnel.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been Supreme Leader since 1989 — almost 37 years — molding Iran into a regional