Iranians deeply divided over Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to power
Mojtaba Khamenei has been named Iran’s new supreme leader and successor to his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war with the US and Iran.
Some pro-establishment crowds have taken to the streets to celebrate the appointment of a hardliner close to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
But other Iranians have told the BBC that they believe it will not bring about change.
“Even the thinnest of chances for a change are no more within the system,” said a man in his 30s in the capital, Tehran.
He said the Assembly of Experts – an 88-member clerical body that chooses the supreme leader – could not have selected anyone closer to Ali Khamenei.
“So, everything will remain much the same; they don’t even need to change their chants to support the [new leader],” he added.
For years, there have been rumours that Mojtaba Khamenei held considerable influence behind the scenes in Iran.
Many expect him to continue his father’s hardline policies.
A woman in her 20s in Tehran said she believed Mojtaba Khamenei would be “even more oppressive than his dad”.
She told the BBC: “I really hope their [senior officials’] lives end in the war, otherwise if we’re under his rule, we will all die.”
Another Tehran resident in his 30s said: “He’s vengeful. They killed his father and he won’t let go.
“If he can’t take revenge on the US, he will take it out on us ordinary people. I hope that Israel and the US will target him.”
Since Sunday night, Iranian state TV news channel IRINN has been showing pro-establishment rallies held for Mojtaba Khamenei in different cities including Tehran, the holy city of Qom, and the north-eastern city of Mashhad, his birthplace.
In the footage, crowds are seen waving the flag of the Islamic Republic.
But Mojtaba Khamenei himself has yet to make a public appearance or speech.
One woman told the channel: “We’re very happy. Thanks to the Assembly of Experts. The hand of God is protecting us. Khamenei is still our leader.”
Another woman said: “It couldn’t have been better than this. Our hearts were warmed.”
BBC Persian and BBC Verify have also verified video posted on social media on Sunday night which included chants of “Death to Mojtaba” and “Death to the lackey” in opposition to Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as chants of “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) in support.
The 56-year-old cleric largely kept a low profile during his father’s rule, but there were longstanding rumours about his influence as a gatekeeper to the late supreme leader.
US diplomatic cables, published by WikiLeaks in the late 2000s, described him as “the power behind the robes” in the regime who was widely regarded as a “capable and forceful leader”.
In addition to being close to the IRGC, he has been accused of interfering in presidential elections and commanding the paramilitary Basij force.
One woman in her 40s in Tehran said she believed Mojtaba Khamenei was “worse than his dad”.
“If he’s alive, I think the US and Israel will target him.”
Before he was selected as leader on Sunday, “everyone was chanting against Mojtaba,” she said, adding: “No-one accepts him except the supporters of this regime.”
Supporters convened in Tehran’s Enghelab Square on Monday to celebrate their new leader, while Iranian state TV broadcast large crowds gathering to pledge their allegiance on Sunday.
People held pictures of Mojtaba Khamenei and his father, and waved flags as cars sounded their horns.
“Now we are sure that the path will continue with his leadership,” one man told Reuters news agency.
A woman described her “profound happiness”, saying Mojtaba Khamenei was “very much like his father”.
“Of all the possible candidates, he was the most deserving and the one most similar [to the former leader].”