“Now, however, with Raisi's passing, the cards have been reshuffled regarding Khamenei's succession. As a result, the focus of attention has now shifted back to Mojtaba,” he said.
Keeping a low public profile, rarely mentioned in media reports and without any official title, Mojtaba Khamenei is considered by observers to be second in command to Mohammad Golpayeghani, the longtime chief gatekeeper to the office of the Supreme Leader.
One of the few official insights into his importance came in November 2019 when the US Treasury announced sanctions against Mojtaba Khamenei, saying that Ali Khamenei had “handed over a part of his leadership responsibilities to his son”.
Susan Maloney, director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution, said Raisi's death would “reshape the tumultuous succession process”, adding that Raisi had been “one of the leading candidates” to succeed Khamenei in recent years. Have emerged as.
Maloney said Mojtaba Khamenei was the “most prominent contender” besides Raisi and a figure who had “considerable power behind the scenes.” But there were questions about his religious credentials as well as his hereditary rule, he said.
Analysts do not rule out that another name could emerge as a potential supreme leader, with some attention focused on Ali Reza Arafi, a cleric who is a member of both the Assembly of Experts and the Guardian Council oversight body .