US intel: Iran’s late leader Khamenei had doubts about son Mojtaba succeeding him

US intelligence has circulated an assessment to President Donald Trump and a small circle around him suggesting that Iran’s late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, had misgivings about his son Mojtaba succeeding him, CBS News reported on Sunday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

According to the report, the analysis found that the elder Khamenei was wary of Mojtaba taking power because he was viewed by some within the Iranian leadership as not very bright and unqualified to lead.

The analysis showed the elder Khamenei was wary of his son Mojtaba ever taking power because he was perceived as not very bright and was viewed as unqualified to be leader, the report said, citing sources.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was selected as Iran’s supreme leader last weekend by the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s top leader, after years serving as a close aide to his father.

About eight days earlier, Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli missile strike in the opening phase of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei was believed to have been injured in the attack.

Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior officials have been briefed on the intelligence assessment regarding the younger Khamenei.

In private conversations, Trump has told people close to him that he is unsure the information about Mojtaba Khamenei matters, the report said. The US president believes Iran may effectively be leaderless, with the younger Khamenei possibly dead, it added.

The White House believes Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – the military force created after the 1979 revolution that answers directly to the supreme leader and wields major political and economic influence – is currently directing the country’s actions.

On Friday, Trump publicly hinted that Ali Khamenei had lacked confidence in his son.

“Their leadership is gone. Their second leadership is gone. Now their third leadership is in trouble, and this is not somebody that the father even wanted,” Trump told Fox News in an interview.

Trump has also called the new supreme leader a “lightweight” and said he would be an “unacceptable” leader for Iran. The US president has suggested Washington should have some oversight over who ultimately leads the country.

On Friday, the US government offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on the location of Mojtaba Khamenei and nine other key Iranian officials.