Mojtaba Khamenei
(Official photo per Wikipedia)
The government of Iran has selected Mojtaba Khamenei as its Supreme Leader:
March 9, 2026
As was rumored and widely expected, the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba, will become Iran’s next supreme leader, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency announced, taking over after his father was killed in an attack by the US and Israel.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the third person to lead the Islamic Republic and the first example of hereditary succession since the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy in the 1979 revolution. In other words, it appears that Iran overthrew a monarchy 47 years ago to institute a… monarchy.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected the country’s next supreme leader in a “decisive vote,” according to Fars. The vote took place hours before the result was made public. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/new-supreme-leader-chosen-identity-concealed-us-israeli-strikes-obliterate-tehrans
9 March 2026
A panel of clerics in Iran has selected a son of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to succeed him in leading the country. Trump has called the appointment “unacceptable” saying he “won’t last long”, as Israel earmark him as a potential target.
Authorities in Iran announced on Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been named as the country’s next Supreme Leader, as US and Israeli attacks enter day 10 and continue to pummel the capital, Tehran. …
There appeared to be some dissent brewing over his selection, as many disagreed with the idea of handing over the supreme leader title based on heredity, thereby creating a clerical version of the rule of the shah, which the Islamic Revolution toppled in 1979.
The Assembly of Experts however, consisted of senior religious figures and clerics, likely wanted Khamenei to prosecute the war. The younger Khamenei, who is believed to hold views that are even more hardline than his late father’s, will now be in charge of the armed forces and any decision regarding Tehran’s nuclear programme. https://www.euronews.com/2026/03/09/iran-names-mojtaba-khamenei-as-supreme-leader-to-succeed-late-father-ayatollah-ali-khamene
March 9, 2026
- Iran named Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader on Monday. Khamenei, who is seen as even more hard-line than his father, will now be in charge of Iran’s armed forces and any decision about Tehran’s nuclear program. The appointment marks a new sign of defiance by Iran’s embattled leadership after more than a week of heavy U.S. and Israeli bombardment.
- Oil prices surged on Monday, leading to more worries that higher energy costs will fuel inflation and lead to less spending by U.S. consumers, the main engine of the economy. Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged as much as 7% in early Monday trading, while other Asian markets also tumbled. https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-khamenei-03-09-2026
Yes, the oil markets have been rattled and yes, the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei is a sign of defiance by Iran’s government.
Either they are deluded by their religious views, which some believe this means that Iran will defeat the USA and Israel, and/or that they believe that the regime will outlast the USA and Israel.
Yet, what looks to be happening is that Iran is setting itself up to be neutralized as the primary military power in the region.
For over a decade I warned that Iran was not the coming King of the South and that Iran would somehow be neutralized. Here are parts of three of many posted statements related to Iran:
According to the Bible, the King of the South (Daniel 11:40) will rise up and we will see if this happens sometime after an Israeli conflict with Iran. Since Iran is not destined to be the King of the South, … I have long written that Iran will somehow be neutralized (through a conflict involving Israel and/or internal strife, etc.) … (Thiel B. Obama arrives in Israel and meets with Netanyahu. COGwriter, May 20, 2013)
I have long believed that Iran is a threat that will one day be ‘neutralized,’ as I believe it will overplay its hand. (Thiel B. After second tanker incident, Israel says it is ready to attack. COGwriter, August 5, 2021)
As post earlier this month, the loss of its Supreme leader and several of its top military and political leaders is a partial neutralization (see Iran lost many top leaders: Let’s call that a partial neutralization).
Interestingly, US President Donald Trump has basically called for neutralization of Iran:
Trump says Iran’s leadership ‘neutered’
6 March 2026
US President Donald Trump told CNN in a phone interview on Friday that Iran’s leadership has been “neutered” and that he is searching for new leadership that will treat the United States and Israel well, even if it is a religious leader and not a democratic state.
“Iran is not the same country it was a week ago … A week ago they were powerful, and now they’ve been indeed neutered,” Trump added. https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Trump-says-Iran’s-leadership-‘neutered’/65821157
Iran’s foreign minister Sunday said Iran has no intention of meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for “unconditonal surrender,” warning that his country is prepared to “continue fighting” amid growing military action. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/08/iran-abbas-aragchi-end-war-00818237
Donald Trump on Saturday offered only a vague description of what he meant by his demand for an unconditional surrender by Iran’s current regime, while leaving open the possibility of deploying American troops on the ground but ruling out asking Kurdish forces to mount an invasion.
“I said unconditional. It’s where they cry uncle or when they can’t fight any longer and there’s nobody around to cry uncle — that could happen too,” Trump said when pressed by the Guardian aboard Air Force One. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/07/trump-ground-troops-iran
So, between using the term “neutered” and saying that he wants to put Iran into a position where “they can’t fight any longer,” that sounds a lot like he is calling for Iran to be neutered.
Provocations by the government of the new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei may further motivate US President Trump to hit harder (unless stopped by something, like the US Congress).
There is a prophecy in Ezekiel related to Iran as prophetic Elam:
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,
The foremost of their might.
36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 I will set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days:
I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 49:34-39)
As I have written before, the statements in verse 36 about the four winds and four quarters, combined with the statements in verse 37 about enemies and a sword, have suggested to me that it will likely be a combination of unrest and war that will lead to the overthrow of Iran and its basic neutralization.
Now, that does not mean that Iran will not be an issue for a time. It will cause damage to Jerusalem (cf. Isaiah 22:6-9). And its new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, if he is not neutralized before, likely will play a part in that.
But this will NOT end well for the current government of Iran. As Jesus said:
37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:37)
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here are links to two related videos Iran In Prophecy and Iran and Israel Conflict.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.