Who is the Iranian Islamic Republic's new Supeme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba Khamenei was officially chosen Sunday evening as the Supreme Leader of Iran, according to state media. Mojtaba is the second son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike at the start of Operation "Lion's Roar."

A decision on the matter was supposed to be published last week, but was apparently postponed due to concerns he would be assassinated. Those responsible for the decision to choose Mojtaba are the Assembly of Experts, which Israel attempted to strike last week — 88 clerics who have the authority to determine the identity of the next leader.

Nevertheless, among the current leadership in Iran there are also opponents. The most prominent of them is Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Mojtaba was born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad, his father's birthplace. He fought in the Iran-Iraq War, where he established many connections with those who would later become senior officials in today's Revolutionary Guards. He studied in Qom, alongside senior Shiite figures in Iran, and was ordained as a cleric. He is considered very conservative, even more extreme than his father.

In 2004, Mojtaba married Zahra, and in 2007 their first child was born. According to reports, he was forced to seek fertility treatment abroad, and earlier this week it was reported in Iran that his son and wife were killed in an attack alongside the former Supreme Leader and his wife.

He studied in religious institutions in the city of Qom and received approval as a cleric. He is close to the Revolutionary Guards and established his connections with those who would later become high-ranking members of the organization during the Iran-Iraq War. His wife and one of his children were killed in the opening strike of Operation Roaring Lion.

In recent weeks, claims have been made in Iran that Mojtaba played a significant role in suppressing the protests in January, coordinating actions with the Revolutionary Guards. If the regime maintains its current hierarchy, it is expected to make the country even more conservative, and is also likely to promote the election of conservative allies to key positions in the country, just as he promoted former Iranian President Ahmadinejad to his role.