Iran’s new supreme leader is severely wounded and delegating responsibility to army generals, says report
Iran’s new supreme leader is gravely wounded and delegating responsibility to army generals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a report.
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on 28 February, has not been seen or heard since he was appointed to the role in March.
Four senior Iranian officials who are familiar with the ayatollah’s health told The New York Times that the 56-year-old is gravely wounded, but that he is nonetheless mentally healthy.
One of Mr Khamenei’s legs was operated on three times, and he is set to be fitted with a prosthetic, they said. One of his hands was operated on and is gradually regaining function, while his face and lips have been badly burned, making speaking difficult.
The supreme leader will need plastic surgery, the officials added.
Abdolreza Davari, a politician in Tehran who knows Mr Khamenei, told The New York Times that the 56-year-old is currently “managing the country as though he is the director of the board”, adding that he “relies heavily on the advice and guidance of the board members, and they collectively make all the decisions”.
The board, he says, are the generals of the IRGC.
Several statements have been made which purport to be from the supreme leader. However, they have come via Iranian officials and other official channels.
Officials told the NYT that Mr Khamenei does not wish to appear vulnerable or sound weak in his first public address, and has therefore delayed being seen in public.
Iranian generals are delivering messages to the ayatollah on handwritten notes sealed in envelopes and passed on by trusted couriers to his hideout. His messages and guidance to Iranian generals go through the same hands.
But Mr Khamenei has, in fact, delegated a significant amount of decision-making to his generals. While reformist and hard-line political factions are still engaged in discussions, Mr Khamenei’s close ties with Iran’s generals have made them the country’s dominant force.
“Mojtaba is not yet in full command or control,” said the director of the Middle East and North Africa for Chatham House, Sanam Vakil, who is in contact with Iranians.
“There is, perhaps, deference to him. He signs off, or he is part of the decision-making structure in a formal way. But he is presented with fait accompli presentations right now.”
