Mojtaba Khamenei’s Role in Iran Uncertain as IRGC Commanders Take Control Amid Health Speculation

Mojtaba Khamenei has been awake and alert since suffering injuries in the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but real authority in Iran now rests with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders who are directing state functions and sidelining the presidency, according to multiple verified reports.

Although Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s third supreme leader on March 8 by a council of senior clerics, he has not appeared in public since assuming office, and his condition and whereabouts remain unclear. His appointment came under wartime duress following the strikes that killed his father, his wife, and his son, and left him wounded.

The IRGC has assumed control over key state functions, effectively sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian and pushing him into a “complete political deadlock.” IRGC chief commander Ahmad Vahidi has blocked presidential appointments and decisions, insisting that, given wartime conditions, all critical and sensitive leadership positions must be chosen and overseen directly by the IRGC until further notice.

Efforts by Pezeshkian to appoint a new intelligence minister failed after IRGC intervention, with all proposed candidates, including Hossein Dehghan, rejected. Under Iran’s political system, presidents typically nominate intelligence ministers only after obtaining the Supreme Leader’s approval, as the office holds ultimate authority over key security portfolios.

The IRGC has blocked intelligence minister appointments and erected a security perimeter around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, effectively preventing the president from advancing his preferred candidate and tightening its hold over Iran’s security apparatus. Fox News and Iran International reported that Khamenei has not appeared in public since assuming office, fueling speculation about his condition and leaving uncertainty over decision-making at the top of Iran’s leadership.

An Iranian politician familiar with Mojtaba Khamenei described the current power structure: “He’s running the country like the chairman of the board.” Abdolreza Davari, who once advised former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, added: “He listens closely to the board members, and together they make the calls. The generals are the board.” This assessment was echoed by six senior officials, two former officials, two Guards members, a high-ranking cleric, and three people familiar with Mojtaba Khamenei, all speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly awaiting a prosthetic leg and undergoing plastic surgery on his face to treat wounds sustained in the February 28 strike. He is mostly cared for by doctors and medical staff treating his injuries, and getting to him is described as extremely hard.

The IRGC’s tightened grip comes as Iran faces internal dissent and external pressures from the United States and Israel, complicating efforts to unify the country and assert control. Under the elder Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, decisions on war, peace, and dealings with the United States rested solely with him. His son did not inherit that unchecked authority, and since his appointment, the IRGC has filled the vacuum by assuming direct control over defense and foreign policy.