Mojtaba Khamenei Reaches Six Months as Iran’s Supreme Leader Without Appearing in Public

Six months after becoming Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei remains a mystery to much of the country. Few Iranians had seen or heard him before his appointment, and that has not changed since he assumed the post.

He has made no public appearance and has issued neither video nor audio messages. His absence has continued during a war that has lasted more than six months and amid Iran’s severe economic crisis. He also did not attend the mass funeral for his predecessor and father, Ali Khamenei, which lasted six days in July and drew millions of people.

The 56-year-old cleric became supreme leader on March 8, after Ali Khamenei died in an attack by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28, the first day of the continuing war. Since his appointment, Mojtaba Khamenei has issued 21 statements on religious festivals, the war and the economy. They were initially read by television presenters and later published on X or Telegram. Before becoming leader, he had kept a low profile despite playing an important role in his father’s office, while his father ruled the Islamic Republic for 36 years.

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The Revolutionary Guards are possibly the most important sector in Iran at the moment.

Iranian authorities have justified the new leader’s absence on security grounds. It has also prompted speculation about his health after apparent injuries in the attack that killed his father, his wife and a niece. Analysts, including Raffaele Mauriello, say the current leadership is more collective than before, with Khamenei representing one voice among several in a form of consensus. “The Revolutionary Guards are possibly the most important sector in Iran at the moment,” Mauriello said, while stressing that this does not mean the group has absolute power.

Iranian officials acknowledge that Khamenei suffered injuries during the war, but describe them as minor and say he recovered, remains in control and has the final word on important decisions. In early August, President Masoud Pezeshkian said he met Khamenei for seven hours. “A person who can sit and debate for seven hours cannot be someone with health problems,” Pezeshkian said. The article ends as it turns to the most important decision attributed to Khamenei so far.

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A person who can sit and debate for seven hours cannot be someone with health problems.