Amid speculation that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is ill, reports have emerged that he has picked his second son as his successor. Who is Mojtaba Khamenei and why is this position so important to Tehran?

Multiple media reports recently claimed that Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in a coma and that he had nominated his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor.

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon on Sunday, following recent reports claiming he was in a coma. The picture of the meeting was shared on Khamenei's X account.The meeting comes after multiple media outlets reported that the 85-year-old leader was in a coma and had chosen his son,

Iran is currently on a war footing with Israel and there are already serious concerns about Ali Khameini, the supreme leader of the country. Meanwhile, there are reports that a backup leader is already ready in secret,

Mojtaba Khamenei played a significant role in Iran's controversial 2005 and 2009 presidential elections, landing support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He allegedly influenced the outcome of the 2009 election. Accusations of vote-rigging and widespread unrest marred the polls.

A photo of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meeting with the country's Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, from the meeting was shared on Khamenei's official X account.

Born in Mashhad in 1969, Mojtaba Khamenei is the second son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the present Supreme Leader of Iran