Tehran, March 9 -- Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, who is said to be more hardline than his father, has been announced as the third Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution following a decision by the country's Assembly of Experts after days of deliberation.

The announcement came late Sunday night (local time), marking a pivotal moment in the political and religious leadership of the Islamic Republic.

The clerical body responsible for appointing the country's supreme leader confirmed the decision in a formal statement, declaring: "By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts elected Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Born in 1969 in the city of Mas...