Mystery Surrounds Iran's New Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has remained largely out of public view since his appointment, leading to widespread speculation about his health and the extent of his power. Over three months after his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an air strike at the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, there are indications that Mojtaba is alive and involved in government affairs.

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involved, absolutely

US President Donald Trump stated that Khamenei is "involved, absolutely," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted "indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level." Within Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian and armed forces joint operational command chief General Ali Abdollah have reported meeting Mojtaba Khamenei, though no images have been released. He has communicated through about a dozen written statements in his name, the latest of which was read at a ceremony commemorating the 37th anniversary of the death of revolutionary founder Khomeini.

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there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level

"Mojtaba, likely with the assistance of his office, probably plays a role overseeing the general direction of policy, including topline positions for negotiations with the US," said Farzan Sabet, an Iran expert at the Geneva Graduate Institute. "But his level of personal engagement with policy is probably far below that of his father" due to the security situation and his health. Multiple Iranian officials have confirmed Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in a US-Israeli strike, though accounts differ on the extent of his injuries and whether they were sustained in the same strike that killed his father.

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Mojtaba, likely with the assistance of his office, probably plays a role overseeing the general direction of policy, including topline positions for negotiations with the US.

"The role of Mojtaba Khamenei is unclear. It is very unlikely at this point that he has the degree of influence that his father used to have," said Thomas Juneau, professor at the University of Ottawa. However, he added, "it is also known that he is close to many of the dominant players today," including key figures in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Juneau suggested that power appears to be held by an "informal committee" of IRGC commanders and senior politicians. Mojtaba's recent statements echo his father's anti-American and anti-Israel rhetoric, accusing the US and Israel of trying to sow "division" among Iranians.

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But his level of personal engagement with policy is probably far below that of his father