In Khamenei’s Name, Basij Chief Ordered to Expand Social Reach, But Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has instructed the newly appointed commander of the Basij paramilitary force, Hossein Taeb, to broaden the organization's influence across Iranian society. According to a member of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Khamenei directed Taeb to move the Basij away from a narrow focus on membership and "specific preferences." The new approach should prioritize engaging "how many people have we brought into the field to create hope?" rather than just counting members.

This directive comes as uncertainty persists regarding the supreme leader's health and whereabouts. Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a verified public appearance since assuming leadership after his father's death in February. While Iranian officials state he was injured in the attack, foreign reports offer varying assessments of his condition. His messages have been issued in writing, and his father-in-law noted he is "not communicating with any party or individual for specific reasons."

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how many people have we brought into the field to create hope?

The lack of public appearances has led to scrutiny of images and videos purporting to show the supreme leader. Several widely circulated visuals have been identified as old, digitally manipulated, or AI-generated. This includes an image presented as Khamenei being injured, which was confirmed as AI-generated, and undated footage of him teaching religious studies, the circumstances of which could not be independently verified.

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not communicating with any party or individual for specific reasons