Mojtaba Khamenei holds an overwhelming trader consensus as Iran’s Supreme Leader at the end of 2026 because he was selected by the Assembly of Experts in March 2026 following Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination in late-February U.S.-Israeli strikes. Formal decrees continue to issue in his name, including military appointments, and President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly affirmed his health after extended meetings. Recent September 2026 reporting highlights internal discussions of a post-war transition due to questions over Mojtaba’s physical capacity and limited public visibility, yet no Assembly vote or official change has materialized amid the ongoing conflict. Alternative candidates such as Alireza Arafi or others remain distant because any shift requires resolved war conditions and a new supermajority decision by the clerical body, preserving the current leadership structure through year-end.