The CIA, Mossad and other intelligence agencies are closely monitoring Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei after he failed to deliver a traditional Nowruz address on Friday. The holiday passed with only a written statement from Mojtaba, deepening questions about his physical condition and actual role in Iran's leadership. He was announced as supreme leader on March 9 following his father's death.
Mojtaba has remained in the shadows since taking power, which intelligence officials say is partly due to Israel placing him at the top of its target list. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed Mojtaba was "wounded and likely disfigured" in the Israeli strike that killed his father. The new leader's only public response has been a written Telegram statement three days after his appointment.
U.S. and Israeli intelligence have evidence suggesting Mojtaba remains alive, including reports of Iranian officials unsuccessfully trying to schedule in-person meetings with him due to security concerns. However, after three weeks without even a prerecorded video statement, intelligence agencies are struggling to assess his actual control. "We have no evidence that he is really the one giving orders," a senior Israeli official told Axios.
The mystery has become a regular topic in President Trump's intelligence briefings, with his national security team working to determine who is actually governing Tehran. A U.S. official described the situation as "beyond weird," noting they don't believe Iran would choose a deceased person as supreme leader, but lack proof he is actively leading. Intelligence agencies previously identified security chief Ali Larijani as Iran's de facto leader before the leadership transition.