CIA, Mossad scramble to solve Mojtaba mystery as Khamenei's successor vanishes
Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei (photo: wikipedia.org)
US and Israeli intelligence agencies are working to determine the whereabouts and actual condition of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has disappeared from the public eye following the death of his father, according to Axios.
Mysterious disappearance
The outlet reports that the CIA and Mossad expected Mojtaba Khamenei to deliver the traditional New Year's speech for the Nowruz holiday, but the leader limited himself to a written statement on Telegram.
This has heightened concerns about his physical condition after an Israeli strike on his father's residence, during which Mojtaba may have suffered serious injuries.
US intelligence has confirmed he is alive, as Iranian officials have tried to arrange meetings with him. However, no video addresses have been released in the past three weeks, which is unusual for a national leader during wartime.
Tehran's crisis of leadership
Sources say President Donald Trump's national security team is trying to determine who is actually running Iran.
Following Israel's elimination of Ali Larijani, who was considered the de facto leader of key processes, a power vacuum emerged in the country.
"We don't think the Iranians would have gone through all this trouble to choose a dead guy as the supreme leader, but at the same time, we have no proof that he is taking the helm," a US official says.
Intelligence currently believes that real control has shifted to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"The IRGC are taking over Iran and they are crazy. They are highly ideological and are ready to die," a senior Arab official says.
Mojtaba Khamenei's condition: What we know
Earlier reports suggested the new Supreme Leader was secretly taken to Moscow. According to media sources, he required urgent surgery following US and Israeli strikes and is now reportedly receiving treatment at one of the Kremlin leader's residences.
It has also been reported that Mojtaba Khamenei's health may be far more serious than officially stated. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth noted that Khamenei was not merely injured, which would explain his prolonged absence from public life.
In addition, the leader's recent statement only fueled doubts about his effectiveness. The text was published without video or audio confirmation, raising questions about Mojtaba Khamenei's actual control over the country's affairs.
