Iran's Assembly of Experts has named Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader, state media reported.
Mojtaba, a mid-ranking cleric with close ties to the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), had long been viewed by elements of Iran's ruling establishment as a potential successor to his father, who was killed after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
Although Iran's ruling ideology frowns on the principle of hereditary succession, he has a powerful following within the IRGC and his dead father's still-influential office.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, "is appointed and introduced as the third leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the decisive vote of the respected representatives of the Assembly of Experts", the clerical body said in a statement.
It said that the clerical body "did not hesitate for a minute" in choosing a new leader, despite "the brutal aggression of the criminal America and the evil Zionist regime".
Defiance
The decision came even after US President Donald Trump earlier said that Mojtaba is "lightweight" and that he should have a say on who rules Iran.
"If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long," he told ABC News before the announcement was made.
Iran's Security Chief Ali Larijani said Mojtaba can lead the country in its current sensitive conditions and called for unity around the new supreme leader.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard also said they are ready to follow the new supreme leader.
