Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? 7 things to know about Iran’s likely next leader
2. Strongest base appears to be the security apparatus
The next leader is likely to be closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force that operates under the Guards. Several reports stress that Mojtaba Khamenei has longstanding relationships with these institutions, which form the backbone of the regime’s security and political power.
The Journal reports that he is “close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij paramilitary, essential elements of Iran’s repression apparatus.” Carnegie similarly notes that his possible rise to the supreme leadership would be “predicated on his proximity to the security apparatus, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its paramilitary force, the Basij.”
This connection is rooted partly in his early experience during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. According to The Telegraph, Mojtaba Khamenei served in the latter years of that war, where he built relationships with figures who later rose to prominent positions within the Revolutionary Guards.
Over the years, he also became deeply embedded in the political networks surrounding the supreme leader’s office. He worked inside his father’s inner circle and developed ties. Analysts describe him as someone familiar with “running and co-ordinating security and military apparatuses,” having spent years managing the networks around the supreme leader, according to another report by the Telegraph.
