Iranian armed forces, state institutions pledge allegiance to new supreme leader
The Cradle, March 9, 2026 —
Trump previously insisted on participating in the selection, calling the new leader ‘unacceptable’.
Iran’s armed forces and key state institutions have pledged allegiance to new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late leader Ali Khamenei, after his appointment in the early hours of 9 March.
Shortly after the decision was announced, Iran’s security and political institutions moved to publicly declare loyalty to the new leader.
Statements were issued by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Defense Council, the Defense Ministry, the IRGC Quds Force, and other military branches, affirming their commitment to the leadership transition.
According to Tasnim News Agency, the pledges emphasized the forces’ readiness to defend the Islamic Republic and protect national security during what officials described as an ongoing war imposed by the US and Israel.
The Defense Council declared, “We will obey the commander-in-chief until the last drop of our blood.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that he and all diplomatic personnel of the Foreign Ministry “declare allegiance to the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution,” adding that they would “not hesitate for a moment to defend the rights of the great Iranian nation.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian described the appointment as the beginning of “a new era of dignity and strength,” saying the decision represented “the will of the Islamic nation to consolidate national unity.”
Hundreds of thousands of Iranian citizens also gathered in cities across the country to show support for the new leadership. Demonstrations were reported in Tehran, Shiraz, Kerman, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Hamedan, and Ardabil, with participants waving Iranian flags and chanting slogans during rallies, including a large gathering at Enqelab Square in Tehran.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts announced Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in the early hours of Monday, after his father was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran on 28 February.
The official body, composed of 88 members responsible for selecting and overseeing the country’s leader, said it acted quickly despite wartime conditions and “direct threats by the enemies” in order to fulfill its constitutional duty.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Mojtaba on his selection as Iran’s new leader, reaffirming Moscow’s support for Tehran.
Putin said he was “confident” the new leader would “honorably continue your father’s work and unite the Iranian people in the face of hardships,” adding that Russia “has been and will remain a reliable partner of the Islamic Republic.”
The appointment marks the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that Iran’s highest authority has passed from father to son.
Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah also congratulated the new leader on his election, praising the Assembly of Experts on their swift decision, and reaffirming their loyalty to Iran’s leadership.
US President Donald Trump had earlier rejected Mojtaba as a potential successor, calling him “unacceptable” in a phone interview with Axios, adding that he wants to be directly involved in choosing Iran’s next leader, saying, “Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment.”
The US president also said Washington would reject any successor who continues the policies of the late leader, threatening further military aggression if Iran’s next leadership fails to align with US demands.