Khamenei’s Nephew Urges Toppling Regime in Iran

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets a crowd of his supporters on January 9. Mahmoud Moradkhani in the framework (AFP/LinkedIn)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets a crowd of his supporters on January 9. Mahmoud Moradkhani in the framework (AFP/LinkedIn)
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Khamenei’s Nephew Urges Toppling Regime in Iran

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets a crowd of his supporters on January 9. Mahmoud Moradkhani in the framework (AFP/LinkedIn)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei meets a crowd of his supporters on January 9. Mahmoud Moradkhani in the framework (AFP/LinkedIn)

Mahmoud Moradkhani, the nephew of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, called for the “swift toppling of the regime in Iran,” but also criticized some opposition parties as “ineffective.”

During a press interview in Paris, which was attended by Asharq Al-Awsat, Moradkhani strongly criticized Khamenei, saying that he is “devoid of religious and civil legitimacy and is incompetent in religious sciences.”

Moradkhani did not hesitate to describe Khamenei as “the butcher of the people” and the “most despised” figure among Iranians.

Iran’s regime is established on religious and ideological beliefs, according to Moradkhani. This makes it very difficult for reform to prevail.

“There is no hope for reforming the regime from within. Therefore, there is no alternative to overthrowing it,” explained Moradkhani.

Moreover, Khamenei wants to make it clear to everyone that violence “is the source of the system.”

“Khamenei cannot take a single step back, so his plan is to resort to permanent repression,” clarified Moradkhani, adding that this has “left people with no alternative to defending themselves but resistance.”

In parallel with his criticism of the regime, Moradkhani described the Iranian opposition as “ineffective at home and on the ground.”

Moradkhani believed that the problem lies in the absence of a vision regarding “the stage that could follow the fall of the regime.”

The “Revolution” that Iran has known for four months now, according to Moradkhani, “did not produce figures with a clear program and distinct personalities.”

As for who would succeed Khamenei, Moradkhani believes that there is no replacement to the current leader from outside the circle close to him and surrounding him.

It is highly likely that the successor to Khamenei will be his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who “enjoys the support of the Revolutionary Guards,” revealed Moradkhani.

He emphasized that the Revolutionary Guards is an active and influential force in choosing Khamenei’s successor.

Moradkhani’s sister, Farideh Moradkhani, was recently arrested after she recorded a video describing the authorities led by her uncle as a “murderous and child-killing regime.”

Moradkhani’s mother and Khamenei’s sister, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, sent a letter in late December declaring that she had washed her hands of her brother, whom she described as a “tyrant.”



Israel Far-Right Issues Rare Rebuke of Settler Attack on Army

Israeli settlers carrying weapons during clashes in which Palestinians were attacked in the town of Huwara in the West Bank. (Getty Images/AFP file)
Israeli settlers carrying weapons during clashes in which Palestinians were attacked in the town of Huwara in the West Bank. (Getty Images/AFP file)
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Israel Far-Right Issues Rare Rebuke of Settler Attack on Army

Israeli settlers carrying weapons during clashes in which Palestinians were attacked in the town of Huwara in the West Bank. (Getty Images/AFP file)
Israeli settlers carrying weapons during clashes in which Palestinians were attacked in the town of Huwara in the West Bank. (Getty Images/AFP file)

An assault by Israeli settlers on soldiers in the occupied West Bank drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, including an unusual rebuke from far-right ministers who typically support the settlement movement.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, considered the two most hardline members of the ruling coalition, called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

The army said dozens of "civilians" attacked its forces on Sunday night at a military base in the central West Bank, vandalizing army vehicles and a security installation.

According to Israeli media, the attackers were settlers who targeted the commander of the military's Binyamin Regional Brigade, calling him a "traitor".

The attack was widely seen as a reprisal for the arrest of six settlers two days earlier.

In that incident, the commander and troops were attacked as they tried to stop settlers entering a closed military zone near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned both attacks, saying "no law-abiding country can tolerate acts of violence and anarchy".

Ben-Gvir was among the last senior figures to react.

"Harming our security forces, security installations and the soldiers who are our children, brothers and defenders, crosses a red line, and must be treated with the utmost severity," he wrote on X.

A lawyer, Ben-Gvir gained a name for himself before entering politics by defending in court several settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the West Bank.

Smotrich wrote on X: "Violence against (Israeli) soldiers and our beloved police forces and the destruction of property are unacceptable."

- West Bank violence -

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and violence has surged there since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following Hamas's October 2023 attack.

Since then, Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 947 Palestinians -- many of them militants, but also scores of civilians -- according to Palestinian health ministry figures.

At least 35 Israelis, including both civilians and security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to Israeli official figures.

But settler attacks on army positions are rare.

"It was too much, even for the far-right," said Simon Perry, a security expert and associate professor in the criminology department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

"The rioters went overboard," he told AFP.

Nimrod Goren, an expert on foreign relations and a veteran commentator on Israeli politics, said the far-right's outrage at the assault was merely "lip service", however.

Violent assaults by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have become common since 2023, without drawing any criticism from the political class, he noted.

"But when soldiers are affected, all of a sudden people are alerted," said Goren, who is chairman of the Israeli foreign policy think tank Mitvim.

- Settlers' eviction drive -

According to the two Israeli experts, the rioters were part of an informal movement known as the hilltop youth, whose goal is to evict Palestinian residents and establish settlements in the West Bank without government approval.

The movement constitutes a fringe, even among the Religious Zionist movement, the ideological backbone of the settlement enterprise.

Several human rights NGOs have denounced the rise in violence committed by the settlers, and their perceived impunity.

Shortly after his appointment in November 2024, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced an end to administrative detention for West Bank settlers, a practice that allows security forces to detain suspects without charge.

Israeli media say the move emboldened extremist settlers and led to a wave of attacks in the Palestinian territory.

On Tuesday, the Israeli press reported that Katz would not bring it back, contrary to the opinion of Israel's Shin Bet security service.

The measure is still in place for Palestinians.

The recent settler violence against army positions in the West Bank even prompted condemnation from leaders within the movement.

"Those who wish to protest must act according to the law and not confront the army," Oded Revivi, a former mayor of the Efrat settlement, and a prominent settler figure, told AFP.

There are around 160 Israeli settlements scattered throughout the West Bank, which the UN considers illegal. Their residents number about 500,000, living among a population of three million Palestinians.