American and Israeli intelligence agencies have launched a high-priority operation to locate Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view for months since taking over the country’s top position.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 8, shortly after the reported death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran’s leadership compound.
This has made it difficult for intelligence agencies to intercept communications or track his movements.
The attack, described as involving multiple precision weapons, destroyed parts of the fortified compound where Iran’s top leadership was located.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he met the Supreme Leader personally, but Western intelligence agencies remain uncertain about the timing and circumstances of those meetings.
American and Israeli intelligence agencies have launched a high-priority operation to locate Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view for months since taking over the country’s top position.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 8, shortly after the reported death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran’s leadership compound.
However, nearly five months into his tenure, the new leader has made no public appearances, delivered no televised speeches and has maintained an unprecedented communications blackout, raising questions among foreign intelligence agencies about his whereabouts and control over Iran’s leadership.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Intelligence agencies struggle to track him
According to intelligence reports cited by The Times, the CIA and Israel’s Mossad have struggled to locate Mojtaba because of his extreme security measures and avoidance of digital communication.
A senior Western intelligence source was quoted as saying: “No phone, no laptop, no digital footprint for five months.”
Unlike his predecessor, who operated through a more visible leadership structure, Mojtaba is reportedly believed to avoid electronic devices and communicate only through handwritten messages carried by trusted couriers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
This has made it difficult for intelligence agencies to intercept communications or track his movements.
Underground bunker theories emerge
Intelligence analysts believe Mojtaba could be operating from a heavily fortified underground facility in Tehran or from a network of tunnels near the religious city of Qom.
Some former intelligence officials have also raised concerns that Iran could be using security decoys to protect the new leader.
Mojtaba’s continued absence has also fuelled speculation about his physical condition following the strike that reportedly killed his father.
The attack, described as involving multiple precision weapons, destroyed parts of the fortified compound where Iran’s top leadership was located.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
While US intelligence has reportedly assessed that Mojtaba is alive and functioning, rumours have circulated that he may have suffered serious injuries.
Questions grew after he skipped Iran’s traditional Nowruz New Year address in March, instead issuing a short written message on Telegram.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he met the Supreme Leader personally, but Western intelligence agencies remain uncertain about the timing and circumstances of those meetings.
IRGC gains influence amid leadership vacuum
Mojtaba’s disappearance comes as Iran faces continued geopolitical tensions following a temporary ceasefire and renewed clashes linked to nuclear infrastructure and shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
His rise to power was reportedly backed by the IRGC, and he is viewed as more hardline than his father.
With the Supreme Leader operating away from public view, the IRGC has taken on a larger role in military decisions and domestic security operations, raising concerns in Washington and Tel Aviv over who is directing Iran’s strategic choices.
)
