Iran's Assembly of Experts has selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new supreme leader, succeeding his father, the late Ali Khamenei, Tasnim News Agency reported on April 22.

The appointment was confirmed as Sunni and Shia clerics in the southern port city of Jask held a joint session to declare allegiance to the new leader. Hojatoleslam Abbas Zakeri, the Friday prayer leader of Jask, described the selection as a continuation of the path set by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, and by the elder Khamenei, whom he referred to as the "martyred leader."

The selection of Mojtaba Khamenei, long considered a powerful figure within Iran's security and clerical establishment, is likely to draw scrutiny both domestically and internationally. 

"This intelligent selection continues the path of the late Imam and the proud legacy of the supreme leader," Zakeri said, adding that the appointment had "caused despair among enemies and hope among those devoted to the Islamic system," Tasnim reported.

Zakeri said the new leader had full command of the strategic issues facing the Islamic world and was the best choice to guide the country through the challenges ahead. He said Shia and Sunni clerics in the region stood firmly behind the new leadership.

The transition comes at a critical moment for Iran, which is under a US naval blockade and engaged in ceasefire negotiations mediated by Pakistan. US President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire on April 21, saying the Tehran regime was "seriously fractured."

The reference to the elder Khamenei as the "martyred leader" confirms earlier indications that Ali Khamenei died during the US-Iran conflict, though Tehran has not issued a formal public statement on the circumstances.

Critics of the Islamic Republic have previously described the appointment of a son as successor as dynastic rather than meritocratic.