Iran’s potential new hardline leader is likely to become a multi-billionaire, drawing attention from Israel as a symbol of Tehran’s confrontational stance. Motjaba Khamenei, a war veteran, is expected to resist pressure from Israel and the US, prolonging conflict in the region.
Khamenei’s survival tactics during military strikes involve utilizing Tehran’s extensive tunnel network, rumored to be several hundred meters deep. His swift and modern appointment, following only two remote meetings of Tehran’s Assembly of Experts, indicates a predetermined decision. He has been in charge of Tehran’s security apparatus for an extended period.
The remote meetings were arranged after the original voting venue in Qum was attacked by the US and Israel. Despite his immense wealth from a property empire, Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah, is favored as the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Despite his luxurious lifestyle and wealth accumulation within Tehran’s elite circles, Khamenei remains popular among hardline supporters, influenced by his father’s anti-Western views. While heavily sanctioned by the US, Khamenei maintains a global perspective, owning a reported £110 million property in the UK and holding assets in Swiss bank accounts.
As the son of Khamenei, he has long been seen as a potential successor, well-versed in his father’s theocratic beliefs and strategic thinking. Khamenei has wielded significant influence behind the scenes, fostering close ties with Iran’s elite military force, the IRGC.
He has been preparing to assume leadership responsibilities, having supported his father’s regime and cultivated relationships within the IRGC since his service as a mid-ranking cleric during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Khamenei’s selection by the Assembly of Experts is believed to be influenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, highlighting his prominence in Iran’s political and security landscape.
Despite his tough stance against the West, heightened by the loss of his wife in an Israel-US airstrike, Khamenei’s international holdings and connections have made him a target for Israel. Israeli officials have indicated that any leader chosen by Iran’s regime to pursue anti-Israel agendas will face threats of assassination, emphasizing Khamenei’s vulnerability to US-Israeli strikes since the conflict escalated.