Mojtaba Khamenei remains out of sight six months after war began

Six months after airstrikes that triggered the war and reportedly left Mojtaba Khamenei severely wounded, he remains out of public view for Iranians and the world. Questions about his condition and the practical role of Iran’s highest office have grown as the country faces critical decisions amid a conflict that has inflamed the Middle East and battered an already fragile economy.

Donald Trump recently said Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but badly injured and disfigured. Iranian officials, however, insist that for security reasons he is governing from the shadows while recovering from wounds sustained in the attack that killed his father, Ali Khamenei. His informal stewardship, they say, includes regular meetings with key figures and oversight of major files.

There has been no published photograph, video or audio from his appointment in March — one week after the outbreak of the war — and only a few written statements attributed to him have been read out by state media. That lack of visible presence has deepened public scepticism in a system where the supreme leader’s voice is traditionally absolute.

Concerns over continuity and command

“The question is no longer whether Mojtaba is alive, but whether Iran still has a functional supreme leader,” said Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute in Washington. The remark captures wider anxieties about who, in practice, is making decisions on strategy, diplomacy and domestic governance.

Senior officials and insiders say the absence from public life is driven by fear of assassination and strict information control: only a small circle maintains direct contact and details are tightly held. Still, those close to the leadership tell reporters his health has been improving and describe him as lucid and engaged in decision‑making. Meanwhile, Iran’s armed forces retain the capability to disrupt energy exports and strike U.S. allies in the Gulf, keeping their leverage in the wider regional confrontation.

Photo: AP)