Mojtaba remains unseen 6 months after becoming Iran’s leader

By Jaime León

Tehran, Sep 7 (EFE).- Six months after becoming Iran’s supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make a single public appearance, with authorities citing security concerns as analysts point to a more collective leadership structure in the Islamic Republic.

When Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, was appointed supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, few Iranians had ever seen or heard him. And that has not changed.

Iran’s highest political and religious authority has neither appeared in public nor released a video or audio message since taking office, despite a war that has lasted more than six months and the country’s deepening economic crisis.

He was also absent from the six-day state funeral of his predecessor and father held in July and attended by millions of mourners.

The 56-year-old cleric was appointed supreme leader on Mar. 8 after Ali Khamenei was assassinated in a joint Israeli-US attack on Feb. 28, the opening day of the conflict that is still ongoing.

Since then, Mojtaba Khamenei has issued 21 written statements, initially read by state television presenters and later published on X and Telegram, addressing religious occasions, the war and the economy. Yet he remains a largely unknown figure to most Iranians.

Even before his appointment, little was publicly known about him. Although he played an influential role in his father’s office during Ali Khamenei’s 36-year rule, he maintained an exceptionally low public profile.

His prolonged absence has fueled speculation about his health after reports that he was injured in the attack that killed his father, his wife and his niece.

Iranian authorities say his injuries were minor, that he has fully recovered, and that he continues to exercise final authority over major state decisions.

Analysts also argue that Mojtaba Khamenei wields less personal power than his father did.

Raffaele Mauriello, an Iran-based analyst, says the country’s leadership has become more collective, with Khamenei representing one voice within a broader decision-making consensus.

«The Revolutionary Guard is possibly the most important sector in Iran at the moment,» Mauriello said, while noting that it does not exercise absolute power.

In early August, President Masoud Pezeshkian said he met the supreme leader for seven hours, dismissing rumors about his health.

«A person who can sit and debate for seven hours cannot be someone with health problems,» Pezeshkian said.

Military reshuffle

The most significant decision publicly attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei has been a sweeping reshuffle of Iran’s military leadership, including the appointment of seven senior officials.

Among the key appointments was Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

A veteran commander, Rezaei led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War.

Another notable appointment was Hossein Taeb as head of the Basij, the volunteer paramilitary force responsible for internal security and the suppression of anti-government protests.

According to analysts, the reshuffle serves a dual purpose: preparing Iran for a prolonged confrontation with the United States while strengthening the state’s capacity to contain domestic unrest.

For now, however, the man expected to shape the future of the Islamic Republic, and potentially the wider Middle East, has been seen only in giant public portraits, often displayed alongside his slain father, Ali Khamenei, and the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. EFE

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