By CIC International Affairs.
ISRAEL ACCUSES MOJTABA KHAMANEI OF CARRYING HIS FATHER’S LEGACY OF VIOLENCE.
Israel has strongly criticized Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, claiming that he is continuing the violent legacy associated with his late father’s rule.
In a post shared on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry reacted to Mojtaba Khamenei’s emergence as Iran’s third Supreme Leader, stating that his leadership reflects the saying that “the apple does not fall far from the tree.” According to a report published by The Times of Israel on March 9, 2026, Israeli officials accused Mojtaba of being deeply connected to the bloodshed that characterized the decades-long leadership of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Israeli Foreign Minister declared, “Mojtaba Khamenei’s hands are already stained with the bloodshed that defined his father’s rule.” He further suggested that Iran now faces the rise of another authoritarian leader who may continue what Israel describes as a long-standing pattern of repression by the Iranian government.
Shortly after his father’s death, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late cleric, assumed the country’s highest political and religious position. His appointment has been described by observers as a major turning point in Iran’s political history.
The joint US-Israeli military actions were said to have targeted Iran’s strategic command centers in an attempt to weaken the Islamic Republic’s leadership structure and limit its regional influence.
For decades, the elder Khamenei maintained tight control over Iran while facing accusations from Western countries of overseeing political repression, supporting armed proxy groups across the Middle East, and advancing Iran’s nuclear program despite international pressure.
Before becoming Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei was widely known as a powerful but largely behind-the-scenes figure within his father’s inner circle. According to insiders, Iran’s Assembly of Experts approved his elevation to the position under significant influence from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
His rise to power is also notable because it marks the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that leadership of the Islamic Republic has effectively passed directly from father to son.
CIC PRESS TEAM