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Hassan Mostafavi Khomeini[a] (born 23 July 1972) is an Iranian politician and cleric who has served as the custodian of the Mausoleum of Khomeini since 1995. A member of the Khomeini family, he is the grandson of the first Iranian supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini.
Hassan Khomeini | |
|---|---|
حسن خمينی | |
_in_Imam_Khomeini's_Hussainiyeh_14_(cropped).png) Khomeini in 2025 | |
| Custodian of the Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini | |
| Assumed office 17 March 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Ahmad Khomeini |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hassan Mostafavi Khomeini 23 July 1972 |
| Spouse | Neda Bojnourdi |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Khomeini family |
| Signature |  |
| Website | hasankhomeini.ir |
| Main interest(s) | Jurisprudence Principles of jurisprudence Philosophy |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Twelver Shiʿa |
| Jurisprudence | Ja'fari |
| Creed | Usuli |
| Muslim leader | |
| Teacher | Kazem Mousavi-Bojnourdi Hossein Wahid Khorasani Mohammad Fazel Lankarani Mousa Shubairi Zanjani Abdollah Javadi Amoli |
According to The New York Times, Hassan Khomeini was one of the potential and likely candidates in the 2026 supreme leader election following Ali Khamenei's assassination.[1] However, Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei was elected his father's successor. Khomeini has held relatively moderate and reformist views in contrast to the hardline principalist views held by his grandfather. As such, he has been at odds with the Iranian clerical establishment, especially the Guardian Council, and sidelined from mainstream politics.[2]
Biography
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He spent his childhood alternately in Qom and Najaf, with his maternal grandfather, Muhammad Baqir Sultani Tabatabai, and his paternal grandfather, Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[3] He is the son of Ahmad Khomeini and Fatemeh Tabatabai.[4]
He is married to Neda Bojnourdi, daughter of Mohammad Mousavi Bojnourdi, and has four children.[5]
Career
editAfter his seminary studies from 1989-1993, Hassan Khomeini became a cleric.[6]
In 1995, following the death of Ahmad Khomeini, he was appointed custodian of the Mausoleum of Khomeini where his grandfather and father are buried.[7][6] He has had official meetings with officials such as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.[8] He also taught in the holy city of Qom, and has published his first book on Islamic sects.
He has been described as having "expressed frustration with some policies of a regime dominated by fundamentalists", such as former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[9] In an interview in February 2008, Khomeini spoke out against military interference in politics.[10] Soon after, in what some observers believe may have been retaliation,[9][7] an article in a publication tied to President Ahmadinejad accused him of corruption,[7] "claiming that he drove a BMW, backed rich politicians and was indifferent to the suffering of the poor".[9] This was "the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic" that one of Khomeini's offspring was "publicly insulted", according to the Iranian daily newspaper Kargozaran.[7] Khomeini met with reformers before the 2009 election[9] and met with defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi and "supported his call to cancel the election results".[7]
On 9 December 2015, he announced that he would enter politics and run for the Assembly of Experts in the 2016 election.[11][12] His nomination was rejected by the Guardian Council on 10 February 2016.[13]
In June 2020, Iranian media speculated that he would be a presidential candidate in the 2021 election,[13] although he declined to stand on the advice of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.[citation needed]
In 2021, he criticized the Guardian Council for barring reformists from running.[14]
On 31 May 2023, a journalist was assaulted by Hassan Khomeini's bodyguards while trying to photograph him alongside Mohammad Khatami. The incident happened in the headquarters of Ettela'at in Tehran, during an event marking the first anniversary of the death of the institute’s director Mahmoud Doaei. The bodyguards punched, kicked, and insulted the journalist, while Khomeini's security chief examined his phone. The Iranian Labour News Agency condemned the bodyguards for attacking journalism.[15] After the incident became viral, Khomeini apologized to the journalist.[16]
Hassan Khomeini criticized Donald Trump for disregarding human rights concerns, warning the people against a potential fall of the theocratic regime in January 2026, attributing the unrest to "ISIS-like terrorism" during the protests while praising Ayatollah Khamenei's courage and wisdom in handling the "engineered" instability hostile countries allegedly sought to cause.[17][18]
2026 Supreme Leader election
editAfter the assassination of Ali Khamenei, a transitional council was established during the 2026 Iran war until the Assembly of Experts named a new Supreme Leader. Hassan Khomeini was one of the clerics designated as a potential successor, along with Mojtaba Khamenei (who was ultimately selected), Alireza Arafi, Mahdi Mirbaqiri, and Hasan Amili.[19][20]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Intrigue, Power Plays and Rivalries: Inside the Rise of Mojtaba Khamenei". New York Times. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ Mohammadi, Majid (31 January 2024). "How Were Potential Candidates For Leadership Sidelined In Iran?". www.iranintl.com. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ "Iranians blog on election crisis". BBC News. 17 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ↑ Michael Rubin (17 March 2008). "Iran News Round Up". National Review Online. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ↑ "Hassan's children". Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- 1 2 Helia Ighani; Garrett Nada (31 May 2013). "Khomeini's rebel grandchildren rock the vote". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ali Reza Eshraghi. (20 August 2009). Khamenei vs. Khomeini Archived 21 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 23 August 2009
- ↑ Hassan Khomeini Meets Bashar, Nasrallah Archived 18 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Iran Daily, Retrieved 23-August-2009
- 1 2 3 4 Grandchildren of the revolution. Najmeh Bozorgmehr and Roula Khalaf 4 March 2009 Archived 5 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 August 2009
- ↑ in the weekly magazine Shahrvand-e-Emrooz, quoted in "Khamenei vs. Khomeini" Ali Reza Eshraghi Archived 21 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, 20 August 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009
- ↑ "Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson to enter Iran politics". Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ↑ Faghihi, Rohollah (17 September 2015). "Assembly election heats up as Ayatollah Khomeini's grandson indicates he will stand". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- 1 2 Maryam Sinaiee (12 June 2020). "Khomeini's Grandson Possible Presidential Candidate?". Radio Farda. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ↑ "Hassan Khomeini: The cleric who could be Iran's next Supreme Leader". The Independent. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ "ILNA Reporter Insulted, Beaten for Approaching Hassan Khomeini". iranwire.com. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ↑ "Recent Beating of Reporter Is Nothing New for Iran, Journalist Says". Voice of America. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ↑ "Grandson of Iran's late supreme leader says Iranians would suffer if the regime fell". Egypt Independent. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ↑ "Seyyed Hassan Khomeini denounces foreign backed riots in Iran". Jamaran News. 2 February 2026.
- ↑ Al Lawati, Abbas (1 March 2026). "Who might replace Iran's supreme leader? There's no clear successor". CNN. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
- ↑ Edwards, Christian (1 March 2026). "Who's running Iran now that the supreme leader is dead?". CNN. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
Media related to Hassan Khomeini at Wikimedia Commons