Rep. Jake Auchincloss criticized President Donald Trump following Iran’s leadership transition, arguing the killing of longtime Iranian leader Ali Khamenei has resulted in a successor he claims could be even more aligned with extremist factions.
Auchincloss made the remarks in a statement posted to social media on Sunday after Iran confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader, had been appointed to the country’s highest political and religious office.
“Donald Trump has replaced an 86-year-old terrorist dictator with a 56-year-old terrorist dictator,” Auchincloss wrote. “Mojtaba Khamenei is a radical Shia Islamist who is committed to hard-line clerical rule at home and to exporting the Islamic Revolution abroad.”
The Massachusetts Democrat said the younger Khamenei has long-standing ties to Iran’s security apparatus, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia.
“He has deep, decades-long ties to the IRGC & Basij,” Auchincloss said, adding that Mojtaba Khamenei has been implicated in repression against Iranian citizens and political opponents.
Donald Trump has replaced an 86-year-old terrorist dictator with a 56-year-old terrorist dictator. Mojtaba Khamenei is a radical Shia Islamist who is committed to hard-line clerical rule at home and to exporting the Islamic Revolution abroad. He has deep, decades-long ties to the…
— Rep. Jake Auchincloss 🟧 (@RepAuchincloss) March 8, 2026
Iran’s state media confirmed early Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei had been selected as the country’s new supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for appointing and overseeing the position.
The announcement comes days after Ali Khamenei was killed during the opening phase of the current conflict when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets.
The appointment marks the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that the position of supreme leader has passed directly from father to son.
As supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei now holds ultimate authority over Iran’s armed forces, foreign policy, and internal security apparatus. The role also includes the power to appoint senior military commanders, top judicial officials, and the heads of major state institutions.
Auchincloss argued that the leadership change could increase regional instability rather than reduce it.
“The younger Khamenei has less popular legitimacy and is more beholden to extremists than even his father,” he wrote. “Weak and insecure at home and abroad, the new Supreme Leader is likely to escalate proxy attacks and race for nuclear capability.”
The congressman ended his post by directly questioning the administration’s strategy toward Iran.
“Mr. President, wtf is your plan?” he wrote.
Trump had previously defended the military campaign that killed Ali Khamenei, calling the longtime Iranian leader “one of the most evil people in history” in a statement following the strike.
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei…" – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/oXZTFGg5pS
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026
The operation was part of a broader U.S. military campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure during the opening phase of the conflict, which has significantly reshaped Iran’s leadership structure and raised new questions about the country’s political future.
With Mojtaba Khamenei now installed as supreme leader, analysts say Iran’s clerical establishment appears to be seeking continuity in governance while the country confronts external military pressure and internal political uncertainty.