Who is actually governing Iran? Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since assuming power in March 2026.
He suffered severe injuries in the February 28 airstrike that killed his father.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now controls daily state affairs.
Power has shifted from religious clerics to a collective security leadership dominated by the Supreme National Security Council.
IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi has emerged as a pivotal operational figure.
Mojtaba serves only to approve decisions made by military elites rather than an independent executive.
The Assembly of Experts officially named Mojtaba as the third Supreme Leader on March 9.
However, his unprecedented absence obscures the true chain of command in Tehran.
Russian state media provides diplomatic cover for this leadership vacuum.
Moscow publicly justifies the new leader's absence to maintain its strategic partnership.
Meanwhile, regional instability grows as Iran executes Baloch political prisoners in Zahedan.
Israeli intelligence also foiled an IRGC terror plot targeting energy infrastructure in Azerbaijan.
Your operations face severe policy paralysis in Iran. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking power in March. He communicates only through written statements and audio links. This absence hides who actually controls executive authority and future sanctions policy. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now manages daily state affairs. Prepare for sudden regulatory shifts as military leaders consolidate control.
Power has shifted from religious clerics to a collective security leadership (Al-Monitor). The Supreme National Security Council now dominates military strategy and political decisions (The Vibes). IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi has emerged as a pivotal operational figure in wartime decision-making (Al-Monitor). Mojtaba serves only to approve decisions made by military elites (The Vibes). He does not make independent executive decisions (Al-Monitor).
The Assembly of Experts officially named Mojtaba as the third Supreme Leader on March 9 (Wikipedia). This decision followed a March 3 Israeli airstrike on the Assembly's office building in Qom (Yeni Safak). US intelligence indicates Mojtaba suffered severe facial burns and leg injuries during the February 28 strike (The New York Times). He is reportedly awaiting a prosthetic leg and requires plastic surgery (The New Arab).
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