CBS News: Ali Khamenei Considered His Son Incapable Of Holding On To Power

• 15.03.2026, 20:18

Trump knew about it.

U.S. intelligence believes that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in Tehran in a U.S.-Israeli attack, feared his son's rise to power. This was reported by CBS News, citing sources. The information was conveyed to US President Donald Trump and his inner circle, including Vice President J.D. Vance.

The sources said Khamenei was concerned about the possible leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei because he considered him "not very capable and unsuitable" for the role of supreme leader. He was also aware of the difficulties in his son's personal life: in 2004, Mojtaba married Zahra Haddad-Adel, the daughter of Gholam-Ali Adel, the head of Iran's Majlis.

After his father's assassination, 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him. That said, according to CBS News, Trump has noted in private conversations that he is not sure how much information about the former supreme leader's son is of practical importance.