NPR News: 03-09-2026 4PM EDT

The Iranian government has announced that Mujtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will succeed his father as supreme leader. The announcement comes as President Trump hosts House Republicans at his Florida resort, with the party facing growing voter concerns about the U.S. economy and the war against Iran. Meanwhile, the State Department says it has helped 23,000 Americans leave countries targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is shrinking dramatically under the Trump administration.

Succession and Reaction in Iran

Mujtaba Khamenei’s elevation to supreme leader has drawn sharp criticism outside the government’s core supporters. One woman in Tehran, who asked NPR not to use her name because security forces threatened to arrest those who speak with foreign media, said, “We know he’s a murderer like his father.” She believes he will soon be killed in a U.S. or Israeli airstrike. Another Iranian woman expressed concern about what the succession means for the war, noting that the new supreme leader’s mother and wife were also killed in the strikes that assassinated his father. “Can you even imagine the hatred he is holding?” she said. Ruth Sherlock reported from Turkey on the border with Iran.

State Department Evacuation Efforts