THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Mojtaba Khamenei Ousts Judiciary Chief Ejei in Iran JFeed JUL 1, 2026 17:19 4 min read view 3 comments A major political drama is unfolding at the highest levels of the Iranian regime as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei, plans to remove the powerful head of the judicial branch, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, at the end of his initial five-year term. Sources close to the matter inside Iran have reported that the younger Khamenei, who recently inherited leadership of the state, has firmly decided not to extend Ejei tenure for an additional five years. This constitutes a dramatic and highly unusual step that shatters a tradition of nearly forty years, during which supreme leaders routinely granted judicial chiefs two consecutive terms to ensure institutional stability. This impending purge does not stem from a desire to introduce legal reforms or liberalization within the system, but rather forms part of a broader restructuring of the balance of power in Iran following the recent war and change in leadership. Since taking office, the younger Khamenei has worked aggressively to replace key figures across central state institutions, aiming to surround hims…

Mojtaba Khamenei Becomes Iran's Supreme Leader After Ali Khamenei Death Mojtaba Khamenei has been elevated as the new supreme leader of Iran following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for nearly four decades. The decision was made by the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the country’s top authority. According toCNN, the move has drawn criticism from some Iranians who fear the decision effectively transforms the Islamic Republic into a political dynasty. Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei the country's new supreme leader following the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, the state-run media has announced.https://t.co/mYjsZuVOcppic.twitter.com/eYG00HAeLj For years, Mojtaba maintained a relatively low public profile. Behind the scenes, however, he built influence within the state structure and developed close relationships with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and economic networks tied to the government. His leadership begins during a tense period for Iran. Donald Trump previously said the younger Khamenei being selected would be “unacceptable” to him. Befo…

Five things to know about Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba ... The U.S. achieved a quick victory when its first strikes on Iran killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader for nearly 37 years. But news that the country had appointed Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor, along with Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, sent oil prices skyrocketing above $120 per barrel on Monday, their highest levels since 2022. "The Iranians are showing defiance by choosing the son of Khamenei," Michael Herzog, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., told CNBC on Tuesday. He added it showed there was "continuity, and the guy will probably be vengeful." U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his "disappointment" in the new supreme leader's selection, telling Fox News: "I don't believe he can live in peace." The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, told CNBC on Monday the country would unite around Mojtaba Khameini when asked about schisms in the country's leadership. The 56-year-old inherits the job of leading a country of over 90 million people in a war that has engulfed the Middle East. Here are five things to know about him. M…

Iran: The Ayatollah succession question - Open Briefing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei recently underwent prostate surgery, following recurrent rumours that he suffers from some form of cancer. At 75, the Mashhad-born Khamenei, who is half Azeri-Turk and hence only half Persian, has been the Islamic Republic’s top arbiter and ultimate enigma ever since he replaced its founder in 1989. Although he has managed to go hiking following his surgery, questions about his health reinvigorate debate over the single most important question in Iran. The looming succession, already increasingly ripe for public discussion both outside and inside Iran, is far from straightforward. When Khamenei took up Ruhollah Khomeini’s mantle, he inherited one hell of a frock. Fundamental constitutional adjustments had to be made on the fly to compensate for his sub-Leader inadequacies, including a fast-track promotion from the middling Hojjatoleslam to the rank of Ayatollah , usually reserved for the most senior among Mojtaheds – that is Shi’ite clerics qualified to issue their own independent rulings. (Sunni clergy deploy juridical pre…

Mojtaba Khamenei named Iran’s new supreme leader - Arabian Post Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been confirmed by authorities in Tehran as the country’s new supreme leader, marking a pivotal shift in the leadership structure of the Islamic Republic and raising questions over the direction of Iran’s political and security policies. Announcement of Mojtaba Khamenei’s elevation follows a period of intense speculation within the ruling establishment over succession planning around the ageing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has held the country’s most powerful post since 1989. The younger Khamenei, a cleric who has largely operated behind the scenes for decades, now assumes the role that sits above the presidency, parliament and judiciary, and commands decisive influence over the armed forces, foreign policy and the country’s powerful clerical institutions. ADVERTISEMENT Iran’s system vests ultimate authority in the supreme leader, a position created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics constitutionally tasked with selecting and supervising the supreme leader, formally ratified Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment after consultations …

Iran has a new supreme leader, but real power may lie elsewhere. How the Revolutionary Guards shape the post-Khamenei order Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, has inherited a political system that his father spent decades building and shaping in his own image.

How Iran's next supreme leader is chosen | AP News Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who assembled theocratic power in Iran over the decades as its supreme leader and sought to turn it into a regional powerhouse, bringing it into confrontation with Israel and the United States over its nuclear program while crushing democracy protesters at home, has died, Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday. In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads an Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The death of Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khameneiafter almost 37 years in power raises paramount questions about Iran’s future. The contours of a complex succession process began to take shape the morning after Khamenei’s killing in an airstrike campaign by the United States and Israel. Here is what to know: As outlined in its constitution, Iran on Sunday formed a council to assume leadership duties and govern the coun…

Iran after Khamenei: A new order takes shape Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, has inherited a political system that his father spent decades building and shaping in his own image.