Iran's IRGC Seizes Power: Revolutionary Guard Forces Khamenei's Son as Next Supreme Leader

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Forces Assembly of Experts to Elect Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is aggressively pressuring Iran's Assembly of Experts to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the next ruler of the Islamic Republic.

The first emergency meeting of the 88 member clerical body convened in Qom following the assassination of Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026, during Israeli and United States airstrikes on Iran. The session proved inconclusive after Israeli warplanes struck the Assembly of Experts building while votes were being counted.

According to Iran International, IRGC commanders launched what sources described as "repeated contacts and psychological and political pressure" on Assembly members to vote for Mojtaba Khamenei. The military leadership argued the succession must happen swiftly due to what they called "special circumstances," warning that delays could destabilize the regime.

At least eight Assembly of Experts members have announced they will boycott the second emergency session, scheduled for Thursday, March 6, in protest of the IRGC's interference. The dissenting clerics contend that installing the late leader's son would create what they called "the suspicion of inherited leadership" and "the suspicion of an Islamic Republic monarchy."

Selecting Mojtaba Khamenei would create "the suspicion of inherited leadership" and undermine public confidence in the Islamic Republic.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 55, has never held formal political office or run for public election, yet he has been one of the most powerful figures in Iran's ruling system for decades. He cultivated deep ties with the IRGC and the Basij paramilitary force, operating almost entirely behind the scenes.

The constitutional framework of the Islamic Republic grants the Assembly of Experts sole authority to appoint a new supreme leader. However, with the IRGC's heavy handed intervention, critics fear the election process has been compromised from the start.

IRGC Military Pressure Threatens to Turn Iran Into Khamenei Family Monarchy

A second session of the Assembly is set for Thursday amid continued Israeli military operations against Iranian targets. The outcome of this vote will determine whether the Islamic Republic transitions power through its constitutional process or succumbs to a military backed hereditary transfer that fundamentally changes the nature of the regime.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us not mince words. Iran's regime has spent four decades persecuting Christians, executing converts, and funding terror against the people of God across the Middle East. Now that same regime is tearing itself apart in a naked power grab, with the Revolutionary Guard trying to install a dictator's son as the next supreme leader. This is not a republic. This is a theocratic monarchy dressed in Islamic robes. The hypocrisy is staggering: a regime that claims divine authority while using military force to rig its own succession. We should be praying for the persecuted Church in Iran, for the house churches meeting in secret, for the believers who face prison and death for their faith. Whatever comes next for Iran, the Church must stand ready.

Take Action

• Pray specifically for the underground church in Iran, where thousands of converts from Islam face imprisonment and execution for their faith.
• Support persecuted Iranian Christians through Open Doors, which ranks Iran as one of the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians.
• Give to The Shepherd's Shield to support frontline ministries serving persecuted believers in the Middle East.
• Contact your representatives and urge them to support religious freedom in Iran. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224 3121.
• Learn more about the persecuted church in Iran through Voice of the Martyrs and share their stories on social media.