Sky News
@skynews·9.3M subscribers·76.1K videos
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei: Iran's new supreme leader - and Trump's next target? | This Is Why
Posted
March 9, 2026
Views
13,816
Likes
173
Comments
46
Engagement
March 9, 2026
13,816
173
46
1.59%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
17:06Now PlayingA "continuity candidate" or the ultimate "nepo baby"?
Iran’s new supreme leader is Mojtaba Khamenei, a 56-year-old cleric and son of the previous ayatollah.
Khamenei was once described as "the power behind the robes" in his father's regime - but very little is known about him.
So, who is Mojtaba Khamenei, and how was he chosen? What does his selection mean for the future of the Iranian regime and people?
And with few signs that the war with Israel and the US will abate any time soon, what difference will he make to the outcome of the conflict?
Niall is joined by Dr Louise Kettle, assistant professor of international relations at the University of Nottingham.
Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk
Follow This is Why, available for free here
Follow Niall on Instagram
Follow Niall on X
SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos
Follow us on X
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
For more content go to and download our appsApple Android
Listen to our new podcast This is Why, available for free here
To enquire about licensing Sky News content, you can find more information here
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
