Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains missing from public view as of April 22, 2026.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now controls Iran's government.
Following the February 28 assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Assembly of Experts named his son Mojtaba as the successor on March 8.
However, Mojtaba has not made a single public appearance.
US intelligence indicates he sustained severe injuries during the strike that killed his father. This absence has triggered a silent military coup.
An IRGC military council, led by Commander Ahmad Vahidi, has erected a security cordon around the unseen Supreme Leader.
The military is actively blocking President Masoud Pezeshkian from making cabinet appointments or contacting Mojtaba.
The civilian government is paralyzed. For international businesses, this means the traditional hybrid clerical-civilian regime no longer exists.
The IRGC dictates all foreign policy and military decisions, including the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Companies must treat the IRGC as the sole governing authority in Iran until Mojtaba emerges.
Your Iranian operations face immediate military takeover risks. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vanished from public view after his March 8 appointment. Intelligence confirms he suffered severe wounds during the February 28 strike that killed his father. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized total control of the state during this leadership vacuum. Expect aggressive military policies as the armed forces isolate the civilian presidency. Update your sanctions compliance models to account for direct military rule.
An IRGC military council led by Commander Ahmad Vahidi now runs the country (India TV News). This council has erected a strict security cordon around Mojtaba Khamenei. President Masoud Pezeshkian cannot contact the Supreme Leader. The IRGC recently blocked Pezeshkian from appointing a new intelligence minister. Vahidi rejected all civilian candidates, insisting the military must oversee sensitive portfolios during wartime. The Supreme National Security Council serves as the public face of this military coalition (Times Union). The traditional balance between clerics and elected officials has collapsed.
The Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei on March 8 under extreme military pressure (Wikipedia). The IRGC forced the vote through virtual meetings after Israeli airstrikes destroyed assembly buildings in Qom and Tehran (The Jerusalem Post). Several clerics strongly opposed the dynastic succession. Senior official Ali Asghar Hejazi warned the assembly that appointing Mojtaba would permanently hand the country to the military (WHMI). The regime ignored these warnings. The rapid appointment violated the republic's foundational rejection of hereditary rule (Carnegie Endowment).
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