Mojtaba Khamenei

Built World

Has not been seen publicly since the February 28 strike; barred from father's state funeral July 4-9 over assassination risk; may have been wounded in the February attack

Trump cancelled a massive planned air campaign against Iran on August 1 at the request of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran. Oil fell to about $83 as Iran and Oman neared a new Hormuz transit deal, though Tehran denied any direct talks with Washington.

Updated 2 days ago

Force in Play

Consolidated power; leads Iran through ceasefire and renewed fighting

Three U.S. carrier strike groups deployed: USS Abraham Lincoln (Arabian Sea since January 2026), USS Gerald R. Ford (Mediterranean), and USS George H.W. Bush. This triple-carrier presence responded to Iran's crackdown on December 2025 protests.

Updated 5 days ago

Force in Play

Named Supreme Leader after father's assassination; issued first public address March 12

The US-Israeli war on Iran began February 28 and displaced up to 3.2 million people inside the country in two weeks, per the UN refugee agency.

Updated Sep 4

Force in Play

Replaced Iran's top security official and formalized new IRGC leadership on August 9-10; has not appeared publicly since taking power in March

The 60-day window set by the June Islamabad memorandum expired the week of August 17 without an extension from either side. Hormuz traffic fell to single-digit daily crossings: as few as three vessels on some days, against about 120 before the war. Roughly 520 commercial ships sit stuck inside the Gulf, and Iran's oil exports through the strait have dropped 94%.

Updated Sep 4

Force in Play

Installed as Supreme Leader on March 9 under reported IRGC pressure; has kept a low public profile

The ceasefire draft that leaked in May became real on June 17, when Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding by video call, giving both sides 60 days to reach a final deal. Iran agreed not to build nuclear weapons under the pact. The truce broke on July 13: Iran struck two UAE tankers in Omani waters with cruise missiles, killing an Indian crew member, and the US resumed strikes on Iran and reimposed its naval blockade.

Updated Aug 20

Force in Play

Has not appeared publicly since his father's killing in February; regime communicates via written statements and, per reports, AI-generated videos; hardliners accuse Ghalibaf and Pezeshkian of staging a 'coup' against him in his absence

The 60-day ceasefire window set by the June memorandum expired August 17 with no extension. A White House official called the talks 'static,' and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has not decided to resume negotiations with Washington. Trump responded by confirming a secret US backchannel to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and threatening to bomb Oman if it interferes with US efforts in the strait.

Updated Aug 17

Force in Play

Hard-liner installed by the Assembly of Experts; unconfirmed reports of injury in early April

Japan imports 90% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, shut by Iran six weeks ago. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is attempting what her predecessor Shinzo Abe failed to do in 2019: talk Tehran down from the brink — but with far higher stakes and Trump's Tuesday deadline.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

In power since March 9, 2026; rumored injured or killed in early April strikes

The United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering what Washington calls Operation Epic Fury. Iran has since fired more than 525 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory. Nearly half carried cluster warheads that scatter dozens of smaller bomblets across wide areas, a weapon type banned by over 100 nations.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Leading Iran's war response as newly appointed supreme leader

Iran's nuclear infrastructure has become the primary target of an intensifying US-Israeli air campaign that began February 28 and has now entered its sixth week. The Natanz uranium enrichment complex has been struck four times. On April 4, 2026, US and Israeli forces expanded the campaign to strike the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Mahshahr petrochemical hub in southwestern Iran. The strikes killed at least one security guard and wounded five workers. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that strikes on civilian nuclear power plants cross 'the reddest line' of nuclear safety, raising the risk of a radiological catastrophe. Meanwhile, Iran has demonstrated growing military capability: on April 4, Iranian air defenses downed two US warplanes, marking the first confirmed loss of American aircraft in the conflict.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Newly installed after father's assassination

Iran qualified as a non-host nation for the 2026 World Cup, then withdrew a year later—the first qualified nation in the modern era to do so for political reasons. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced the withdrawal three months after U.S.-Israeli military strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the country's military infrastructure.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Named successor to his father

For more than four decades, US embassies in the Middle East and Africa have faced bombings, sieges, and missile strikes. None has been attacked in Western Europe — until an incendiary device detonated at the entrance of the US Embassy in Oslo at 1:00 a.m. on March 8, shattering windows and sending smoke into the street.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Selected by Assembly of Experts under IRGC pressure; legitimacy disputed

Iran's Supreme Leader controlled both the presidency and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for over four decades. Eight days after a joint United States-Israeli airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that unified chain of command fractured.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Absent from public view for over 60 days due to serious injuries; US officials told CNN on May 8 they cannot reliably reach him; his inaccessibility is a core obstacle to any binding peace agreement. Iranian officials claim he is 'in perfect health' but have released no authentic photos or audio.

The Iran-US war reached its 73rd day with talks at a deadlock. Trump called Iran's May 10 response 'garbage' and declared the ceasefire on 'massive life support'.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Supreme Leader of Iran (designate); consolidating power amid military collapse and humanitarian crisis; praised Hezbollah for supporting Iran's war effort

Operation Epic Fury, launched jointly by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, reached day 39 with the heaviest strikes yet on Iran. The campaign has confirmed over 9,000 targets hit, more than 130 naval vessels destroyed, and at least 55 senior regime leaders killed.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

Elected March 8, 2026 after father's assassination; reportedly injured in same airstrike; has not appeared publicly—first statement was read on state TV

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion—coordinated airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and senior leadership. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes; his son Mojtaba was elected as the new Supreme Leader on March 8 but hasn't appeared publicly, reportedly recovering from injuries sustained in the same strike. Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for 20 percent of world oil trade. Pakistan brokered a ceasefire on April 8, but Iran re-closed the Strait on April 18 after the United States refused to lift its naval blockade imposed following failed peace talks.

Updated May 29

Force in Play

Named third supreme leader on March 9, 2026; considered more hardline than his father; close IRGC ties

The December 2025 uprising was suppressed at massive cost. HRANA's February 23 report, 'The Crimson Winter,' verified 7,007 deaths—6,488 adult protesters, 236 minors, 207 security forces, and 76 bystanders—with another 11,744 cases still under review. President Pezeshkian publicly apologized for the massacres on February 11.

Updated May 26