Foreign media reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, known as Iran's new supreme leader, is unconscious and receiving treatment. Observers say this could signal a serious rift in Iran's power structure.
On the 7th (local time), the Times of London cited diplomatic documents obtained by the United States and Israel and shared with Gulf allies, saying, "Mojtaba is being treated in the religious city of Qom in Iran and remains in critical condition without regaining consciousness," adding, "He is effectively unable to govern and cannot currently take part in national decision-making."
Mojtaba is believed to have been injured during the U.S. surprise strike on Iran's leadership on Feb. 28. However, his exact health status has been shrouded in secrecy. Even after rising to the position of supreme leader, he has not appeared in public, and no audio of his voice has been released.
According to the report, the diplomatic papers also included indications that preparations were underway for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in the airstrike. Iranian authorities are said to be proceeding with burial procedures in the Qom area.
This situation is seen as a factor that heightens the possibility of a power vacuum inside Iran. Analysts also say that if the supreme leader's inability to make decisions drags on, a power struggle could intensify between the military and the clerical establishment.
Meanwhile, Mojtaba on the 6th strongly condemned the assassination of a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general on social media. "Israel and the United States, after repeated defeats, are resorting to terror and assassination," he said, adding, "Crimes targeting the leadership will not stop our path."
Earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that the head of the Intelligence Organization (SAS) Academy was killed in an airstrike near Tehran and pointed to the United States and Israel as being behind the attack.