Regime consolidates power as minority representatives publicly endorse new leadership following dramatic wartime succession.
Representatives of several religious minorities in Iran’s parliament issued a joint declaration expressing loyalty to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei following his appointment as the country’s new Supreme Leader after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei. The lawmakers offered condolences over what they described as the “martyrdom” of the former leader and affirmed their allegiance to the new head of the Islamic Republic during a period of heightened regional tensions.
Among the signatories was Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, who published a statement praising the leadership transition and pledging support for the new Ayatollah. The declaration described the transfer of authority as the passing of the “holy flag” of the Islamic Republic and portrayed Mojtaba Khamenei as carrying the heavy responsibility of leadership after years of close association with his father and the ruling establishment.
The message emphasized that while the country mourns the death of the previous leader, lawmakers view the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as a worthy and courageous decision for the continuation of the regime’s leadership. The representatives concluded by congratulating the selection and reaffirming the loyalty of religious minority representatives and their communities to the new Supreme Leader and the state’s governing system.
