Sayyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is son of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.
Background
Mojtaba has reportedly taken control over the Basij militia being used to suppress the protests over the 2009 election and is also reported to be "being groomed" to succeed his father as Supreme Leader. Mojtaba was born in Mashhad in 1969 and is the second son of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran.
Education
After graduating from high school, he studied theology.
Career
He also was involved in the Iran-Iraq war operations in 1980 to 1988. In 1999, he continued his studies in Qom to became a cleric. Mojtaba teaches theology in the Qom seminary.
He was affiliated with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and supported Ahmedinejad in the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections.
However, in January 2013, Ahmedinejad accused him of embezzlement, indicating their alliance had ended. Journalists stated that he may "have played a leading role in orchestrating" Ahmadinejad"s electoral victory, and that he may be "a key figure in orchestrating the crackdown against anti-government protesters" in June 2009, and directly in charge of the paramilitary Basij, a blackout of his name in the regime press notwithstanding.
In an open letter, Mehdi Karroubi, ex-chairman of the Majlis (parliament) and a reformist candidate in the 2009 presidential vote, explicitly accused Mojtaba Khamenei of participating in a conspiracy to rig the election, referring to illegal interference of "a network". Mojtaba is reported to have a strong influence over his father and is talked about as his possible successor.
"The strength of Mojtaba"s personal following has not been demonstrated," and while he wears clerical robes he "by no means has the theological status" to rise to Supreme Leader.
Many conservatives, including the Revolutionary Guard hierarchy, support Mojtaba and oppose reformers who might question the financial management of the country and the billions of dollars conservatives use to support their regional political agenda. He is also "widely believed to control huge financial assets".