Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public and did not deliver a Nowruz address for the Iranian New Year, and the rumor mill is in full swing. “This is more than strange,” a senior US official told Axios. “We have no proof he is holding the reins.” An Israeli official added: “We have no evidence he is the one giving orders.”
Despite backing from Washington, the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa prefers to stay out of the war, fearing Iranian missile attacks and the risk of renewed internal sectarian conflict.
State Department program offers financial rewards and possible relocation to anyone providing information on new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other senior figures in the Iranian regime.
Israel and the US are already preparing for the next stage after the war, intending to help the Iranian people replace the government in Tehran. However, officials familiar with the details stress that everything ultimately depends on the decisions of the Iranian people themselves.
Mojtaba Khamenei becomes the third supreme leader since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. The announcement comes eight days after the elimination of his father, Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades
A senior Saudi commentator says Riyadh's rapprochement with Tehran is now on the brink, and that normalization with Israel may quietly accelerate as a result.
According to a CNN report, the Central Intelligence Agency is working to arm Kurdish forces in an effort to spark a popular uprising in Iran’s outlying regions. Sources familiar with the plan say the move is intended to tie down Iranian forces along the Iraq border and enable unrest in major cities. Tehran has already responded with drone strikes.
Opposition outlet Iran International says Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The International Atomic Energy Agency revealed the exact location where the uranium was stored. The material was enriched to 60%, close to the 90% required for a nuclear weapon. Assessments that it was being kept at the underground complex had previously been reported in Western media.
Despite Omani mediation efforts and optimistic signals from Muscat, Washington has urged US citizens to leave Iran again and warned of “additional steps.” As tensions mount worldwide, Israeli officials believe a potential strike could come soon and outline how it might unfold.
