His Role in the Security Structure of the Ruling Regime in Iran and the Suppression of Popular Protests

 Why Examining Mojtaba Khamenei’s Role Matters for the Human Rights Community

In recent years, speculation about the succession to Ali Khamenei at the top of Iran’s power structure has intensified, bringing the name of Mojtaba Khamenei increasingly into political analyses and media reports. He is the second son of the former leader of the ruling regime in Iran. Although he holds no official position within the state structure, many analysts describe him as one of the influential figures within the regime’s inner circle of power.

For the human rights community, the issue of succession in Iran is not merely a political matter. Experience over the past four decades has shown that decisions made within circles close to the leader of the regime have had a direct impact on the human rights situation in the country. These decisions have ranged from the suppression of protests and mass arrests to the use of lethal force against demonstrators.

In this context, Mojtaba Khamenei’s name has frequently appeared in connection with the security network surrounding the Office of the Supreme Leader, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and various intelligence bodies. These networks have played a central role in suppressing public protests, arresting political activists, and restricting civil freedoms over the years.

Alongside this security structure, a network of economic foundations and quasi-state companies has also developed under the influence of circles close to the leader’s office. This economic network, which includes some of the largest financial foundations in Iran, controls significant portions of the country’s economic resources.

Examining Mojtaba Khamenei’s role within these security and economic structures is therefore essential for understanding the mechanisms of power in Iran and their implications for human rights.

For this reason, many international analyses describe Mojtaba Khamenei as one of the informal centers of power in Tehran; a figure who, despite holding no official government position, maintains significant influence in political and security decision-making through his connections with the Office of the Supreme Leader, the IRGC, and intelligence institutions.

Background and the Formation of His Network within the IRGC

Mojtaba Khamenei was born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad and is the second son of Ali Khamenei.

During the final years of the Iran-Iraq war, he was sent to the war front and served in the Habib ibn Mazaher battalion of the IRGC’s 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division. This unit was one of the most prominent IRGC formations during the war, and many of its members later rose to senior positions in Iran’s military and security apparatus.

Among the figures associated with this network were Qassem Soleimani, Hossein Hamedani, Ahmad Kazemi, and Hossein Taeb. The relationships formed within this wartime network later evolved into an important circle of influence within the IRGC and the regime’s security institutions.

Entry into Politics and Allegations of Electoral Engineering

Mojtaba Khamenei’s name first drew widespread public attention during the 2005 presidential election in Iran. At the time, Mehdi Karroubi, one of the candidates, addressed an open letter to Ali Khamenei accusing his son of interfering in the electoral process and organizing support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

This letter brought public attention to the possible political role played by Mojtaba Khamenei behind the scenes.

Since then, some analysts have described him as an influential figure within mid-level networks of the IRGC and the Basij militia.

Influence within the IRGC and Intelligence Institutions

Mojtaba Khamenei’s relationship with the IRGC represents one of the key sources of his influence within Iran’s power structure.

These connections, initially formed during the Iran-Iraq war, later developed into broader political and security networks.

Reports have suggested that circles close to the leader’s office played a significant role in strengthening the IRGC Intelligence Organization. Over the years this body has become one of the most powerful security institutions in Iran and has played a central role in:

• Arresting political activists
• Arresting journalists
• Suppressing public protests
• Conducting security interrogations
• Building cases against civil society activists

Reports by United Nations bodies have indicated that IRGC-linked forces and its intelligence organization have played a direct role in mass arrests of protesters in recent years.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s Role in the Suppression of Public Protests in Iran

Over the past two decades, Mojtaba Khamenei’s name has repeatedly appeared in connection with the security decision-making structure of the ruling regime in Iran and the suppression of popular protests. Although he holds no formal government position, numerous political, media, and security sources have described him as a central figure coordinating between the Office of the Supreme Leader, the IRGC, and intelligence institutions.

This role became particularly visible during major waves of protests in 2009, 2019, and 2022, and has been referenced in various international analyses and reports.

The 2009 Protests: Electoral Engineering and Shadow Command

During the mass protests that followed Iran’s 2009 presidential election, Mojtaba Khamenei’s name emerged as a key figure within the regime’s security decision-making structure.

Mehdi Karroubi, one of the candidates in the 2009 election, had earlier warned in an open letter to Ali Khamenei about interference by his son in the electoral process. In the letter he wrote:

“Reports have circulated that your son, Agha Seyed Mojtaba, is supporting one of the candidates.”

Karroubi later emphasized that the involvement of circles close to the leader’s office in manipulating the election had played a decisive role in triggering the political crisis that followed.

At the same time, the British newspaper The Guardian reported in 2009, citing a senior political source in Iran:

“Mojtaba is the commander of this coup. The Basij forces operate directly under his command, but his name is always kept hidden.”

Reports during that period also suggested that some security meetings previously held within the Supreme National Security Council had been moved to the leader’s office, where figures close to the leadership circle, including Mojtaba Khamenei, played a more active role in decision-making.

The November 2019 Protests: Mojtaba Khamenei in Sanctions Documents

Mojtaba Khamenei’s role within the regime’s security structure received further attention during the nationwide protests of November 2019.

In November 2019, the United States Treasury Department placed his name on its sanctions list. The designation stated that Mojtaba Khamenei:

“Acts on behalf of the Supreme Leader of Iran to advance destabilizing regional objectives and domestic repression.”

The same statement also referred to his close cooperation with commanders of the IRGC and the Quds Force.

The November 2019 protests became one of the bloodiest crackdowns in modern Iranian history. Security forces used live ammunition against demonstrators, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Analysts have pointed to the role of circles close to the leader’s office in coordinating the actions of the IRGC, the Basij, and other security institutions during this crackdown.

The 2022 Protests: Security Coordination

During the nationwide protests of 2022, which began after the death of Mahsa Amini, numerous reports described the role of security circles close to the leader’s office in directing the crackdown.

According to reports attributed to internal security documents, Mojtaba Khamenei participated in meetings related to managing the protests and praised security forces for “neutralizing” demonstrations.

The same reports stated that he criticized certain Basij commanders for what he described as “insufficient readiness for urban warfare” and called for strengthening the logistical and operational capabilities of Basij forces to confront future protests.

During the 2022 protests, demonstrators widely chanted slogans against the ruling power structure in Iran. One slogan frequently heard in protest gatherings was:

“Mojtaba, may you die before becoming leader.”

The slogan reflected the awareness among some protesters of Mojtaba Khamenei’s political and security role within the regime’s power structure.

The Security Network Associated with Mojtaba Khamenei

One of the key elements behind Mojtaba Khamenei’s security influence is a network of military and intelligence commanders who have maintained ties with him since the Iran-Iraq war.

Many of these figures served in the Habib battalion of the IRGC’s 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division, a unit whose members later assumed influential positions within Iran’s security apparatus.

Among the figures often associated with this network are:

Hossein Taeb
Former head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, who played a role in numerous security cases and protest crackdowns.

Hossein Nejat
A senior IRGC commander and official within the Tharallah Headquarters, which is responsible for security in Tehran and for managing major security crises in the capital.

The Tharallah Headquarters is considered one of the most important IRGC security institutions and is tasked with controlling security in Tehran during large-scale protests.

The existence of such a network of security commanders has led some analysts to describe Mojtaba Khamenei as one of the influential figures coordinating between the Office of the Supreme Leader and the regime’s security structure.

Epilogue

What has been examined in this report represents only part of the power structure that has developed around the Office of the Supreme Leader in Iran over the past two decades. This structure consists of a network of political, security, and military relationships in which the name of Mojtaba Khamenei has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the influential figures coordinating between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, intelligence institutions, and circles close to the leader of the ruling regime.

The role of this network in the suppression of public protests in 2009, 2019, and 2022 illustrates that security decision-making in Iran is not confined to formal institutions alone. Rather, part of this decision-making structure operates within informal circles of power surrounding the leader’s office.

However, influence within the security apparatus represents only one dimension of power within this network. Alongside it, a system of economic foundations, quasi-state companies, and financial networks has emerged over the years, concentrating significant economic resources in the hands of circles close to the leader’s office.

The next part of this report will examine the economic dimension of this power structure and the financial networks associated with Mojtaba Khamenei; networks that control significant economic resources and play an important role in sustaining the political influence of this circle.

To be continued | Part Two: The Financial Network of Power in Iran