Iran is operating without a visible head of state after a US-Israeli airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 [The Guardian].
The Assembly of Experts named his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader on March 8 [AP].
However, Mojtaba has not made a single public appearance or released any audio recordings since his appointment [Times of Israel].
State television only broadcasts written statements attributed to him [Times of Israel].
This unprecedented absence strongly suggests he is incapacitated or deceased [Chosun].
In the vacuum, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized de facto control of the government [The Economist].
The IRGC pushed Mojtaba's rapid appointment to maintain a clerical facade while military commanders consolidate power [JPost].
Former IRGC commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr now leads the Supreme National Security Council [Gulf International Forum].
Iran has effectively transitioned from a theocratic republic to a military dictatorship [Chosun].
The central intelligence question is which IRGC factions control the state's ballistic missiles [The Economist].
The Iranian government is operating under a military junta while the newly named Supreme Leader remains entirely hidden from public view [Iran International]. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public or released audio since his March 8 appointment [Times of Israel]. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pushed his succession to create a clerical shield while generals seize absolute control [The Economist]. This absence indicates Mojtaba is likely incapacitated, leaving military commanders to direct the escalating regional war unchecked [Gulf International Forum].
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now holds absolute state power [The Economist]. The civilian government and clerical establishment have lost all operational authority [Gulf International Forum]. Former IRGC commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr directs the Supreme National Security Council [Gulf International Forum]. This council controls all wartime decisions and long-range missile deployments [The Economist]. The military apparatus operates independently of traditional religious oversight [JPost]. This maneuver transformed Iran into a military regime similar to Pakistan or Egypt [Chosun]. The clerical facade simply masks the new military reality [JPost].
The Assembly of Experts bypassed constitutional procedures to install the new leader on March 8 [Iran International]. Several clerics boycotted the emergency online vote to protest hereditary rule [Iran International]. State television anchors read official statements aloud while showing still photographs [Times of Israel]. Rumors circulate widely that the 56-year-old cleric suffered severe injuries during the initial airstrikes [Times of Israel]. The regime claims security concerns prevent his physical presence [Chosun]. The traditional Shiite clerical establishment strongly opposes this dynastic transfer of power [The Guardian].
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