The Daily — “Chosen by War: The Rise of Iran’s New Supreme Leader”

Date: March 17, 2026
Host: Michael Barbaro
Guest/Reporter: Farnaz Fasihi

Episode Overview

This episode investigates the surprising and contentious appointment of Mujtaba Khamenei, son of recently assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, as Iran’s new supreme leader. Through expert reporting from Farnaz Fasihi, The Daily unpacks the political intrigue, factional strategy, and war-driven urgency behind Mujtaba’s selection, and what his rule means for Iran, its people, and the unfolding conflict with the US and Israel.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Unexpected Rise of Mujtaba Khamenei

• Mujtaba Khamenei’s ascent was not predetermined, despite his proximity to power. Many, even insiders, were surprised, due to the revolution’s explicit anti-monarchical roots (02:45).
• Irony of Hereditary Succession:
  • “The Islamic revolution came about so there would be an end to monarchy, rule and power being passed from father to son.” — Farnaz Fasihi (02:45)
  • Unlike previous transitions that avoided familial succession, this breaks with revolutionary ideals.

Succession as a ‘Game of Thrones’

• Intense Political Jockeying:
  • The succession was a power struggle among clerics, Revolutionary Guards, former intelligence chiefs, and pragmatic politicians (04:15).
  • Described vividly by Farnaz Fasihi:
    • “It was explained to me as sort of the Islamic Republic’s version of Game of Thrones vying for power.” (04:15)

Main Factions and Their Stakes

• Moderates’ Approach:
  • Led by Ali Larijani and President Pezeshkian, argued for reform-minded or moderate candidates (Rouhani, Hassan Khomeini, Alireza Arafi) to signal openness to change and to calm internal unrest post-assassination and during war (06:14).
  • “Maybe it’s time to put a new face on the regime… that we’re thinking of moderating our policies.” — Farnaz Fasihi (06:25)
• Hardliners and Revolutionary Guards:
  • Sought unwavering continuity of the war effort and their own dominance, uniting behind Mujtaba for his loyalty and reliability (09:04).
  • “They just sort of said, that’s a formality we don’t care about. In the middle of this conflict.” — Michael Barbaro on disregarding the anti-hereditary ethos (10:34)

How Mujtaba Was Chosen

• War as Catalyst:
  • Immediate post-assassination urgency, with debate and pressure behind the scenes—war conditions provided hardliners with the justification to push through a controversial succession (11:42).
• Dramatic Back-and-Forth:
  • Moderates attempted to block Mujtaba’s appointment by presenting the assembly with a written will and testimonial evidence that Ayatollah Khamenei opposed hereditary succession (14:35).
    • “They brought two of his father’s closest aides… to testify… that his father… had said he does not want his son to succeed him.” — Farnaz Fasihi (14:25)
    • “Here it says that I don't want any of my family members to become the Supreme Leader.” (14:54)
• Counteroffensive and Final Vote:
  • Guards and hardliners mobilized, calling emergency votes and pressuring the assembly.
  • Mujtaba received the necessary two-thirds vote and was installed as leader (15:52).
  • “They announced it and sealed the deal.” — Farnaz Fasihi (15:56)

The New Supreme Leader: Mujtaba’s Background & Inner Circle

• Early Life & War Experience:
  • Born in 1969, he fought as a teenager in the Iran-Iraq War, forging key military alliances (19:16–21:08).
  • “He is in a brigade where many of the current generals and senior leadership… were also in that battalion… that’s where many of his powerful alliances… start.” — Farnaz Fasihi (20:22)
• Religious Credentials:
  • Studied in Qom, gained senior religious status, became a teacher, then drew even closer to regime power centers (21:17–23:25).
• Behind-the-Scenes Powerbroker:
  • Managed security and strategy with key figures, such as Hossein Taeb (former Guards intelligence chief) and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (parliament speaker) (22:05).
  • Involved in “meetings once a week… to discuss and strategize the policies… they would want.” — Farnaz Fasihi (22:57)
• Role in 2009 Crackdown:
  • Allegedly orchestrated the crackdown on Green Movement protesters, tied to paramilitary Basij forces, marking him as a true regime hardliner (23:44–25:11).
  • “Authorizing them to go to the streets and really crush the protests.” (25:14)
• Opaque Public Image:
  • Kept out of the public eye, never engaged in mass outreach, and hasn’t appeared since his appointment—seen only in written statements (26:47–27:12).

Determining Mujtaba’s Hardline Stance

• Recent Actions:
  • Iran has escalated rhetoric and actions—promising further attacks and maintaining military confrontations since his appointment (28:35).
• Potential for Change?
  • Some supporters compare him to Saudi Arabia’s MBS as a possible unexpected reformer, but “all the evidence points otherwise” (29:55).
• War’s Double-Edged Outcome:
  • US and Israeli actions meant to oust hardliners instead arguably consolidated them, leaving Iranians with a more entrenched regime (30:16–30:39).
  • “Many people in Iran point to that… now we have the Ayatollah’s son as our leader. So it’s very disappointing…” — Farnaz Fasihi (30:39)

Public Sentiment and Aftermath

• Disillusion and Fear:
  • The hope for reform and change, palpable at the war’s outbreak, has quickly evaporated amid bombing, instability, and the hardliner’s return (31:50).
  • “It feels like fear and anxiety has replaced hope.” — Farnaz Fasihi (32:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was explained to me as sort of the Islamic Republic’s Game of Thrones vying for power.” — Farnaz Fasihi, 04:15
• “If Khamenei had died a natural death, Mujtaba would have a lot of resistance. But now the Guards and the hardliners could argue, they martyred our Supreme Leader, and who is the closest thing? His son.” — Farnaz Fasihi, 10:39
• “Here it says that I don't want any of my family members to become the Supreme Leader.” — Farnaz Fasihi relaying from the late Ayatollah’s alleged will, 14:54
• “This really is Game of Thrones.” — Michael Barbaro, 15:01
• “The story of Mujtaba’s rise very much parallels the story of the Revolutionary Guards’ rise and control of Iran… their stories are intertwined.” — Farnaz Fasihi, 25:39
• “He never really came to attend a Friday prayer or deliver a public speech… he was just… a mysterious figure in the backgrounds and backrooms of power.” — Farnaz Fasihi, 26:19
• “There is a camp that’s trying to promote him as an MBS figure. But we have no evidence of that. All the evidence points otherwise.” — Farnaz Fasihi, 29:55
• “Many people in Iran point to that. They say the United States and Israel said that they were going to come and liberate us… now we have the Ayatollah's son as our leader. So it’s very disappointing…” — Farnaz Fasihi, 30:39

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:45] The irony and politics of hereditary succession after the revolution
• [04:15] Behind-the-scenes power struggles: “Game of Thrones” analogy
• [06:14] Factions and moderate reformist candidates
• [09:04] Hardliners’ rationale and political calculus
• [11:42] How the war and assassination accelerated and shaped the process
• [14:25] Moderates’ dramatic attempt to block Mujtaba with Ayatollah’s alleged will
• [15:52] Final vote and hardliners' victory
• [19:16] Mujtaba’s history: war service and military alliances
• [22:57] Weekly strategy meetings with Iranian intelligence and military figures
• [23:44] Role in the 2009 election and protest crackdown
• [26:19] Mujtaba’s mysterious public profile
• [28:35] First acts and statements as Supreme Leader: further hardline positions
• [30:39] The war’s consequences: Iranians left more isolated, fearful, and disappointed

Conclusion

This episode offers a rare, in-depth look at the mechanics of Iran’s sudden leadership succession amidst war, revealing both the regime’s infighting and the hardening of its stance. Mujtaba Khamenei’s selection, shaped by wartime exigency and decades of backroom alliances, marks a deepening of hardline rule. For Iranians, hopes for reform have been replaced by fear, as outside pressures have ironically consolidated the very regime the war sought to topple.