It was clear earlier on Sunday that Iran's so-called Council of Experts had agreed on a new supreme leader for the country - but the name was kept secret. Late in the evening, local time in Sweden, state media announced who had been chosen.
As expected, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who had been mentioned as a likely successor, was chosen.
He now succeeds his father, who was killed in American and Israeli attacks that started the Iran War on Saturday, February 28.
"The most suitable candidate, approved by the majority of the Council of Experts, has been determined," Mohsen Heydari, a representative from Khuzestan province on the Council of Experts, said earlier in the day, according to the pro-regime news agency Isna.
Another member, Mohammad Mehdi Mirbagheri, confirmed in a video from Fars that they had reached "a firm opinion that reflects the majority view."
US President Donald Trump has said in an interview with Axios that he wants to have influence over who will be Iran's next leader and that he considers Mojtaba Khamenei to be "unacceptable."
Israel's military has warned that "any successor and anyone who attempts to appoint one" will be considered military targets.
The new leader will be the third in a row since the 1979 Islamic revolution - which essentially turned Iran into a religious dictatorship. The Council of Experts consists of 88 religious leaders.
