A recent report from The Times suggests that Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is “unconscious and receiving treatment for a severe medical condition in the holy city of Qom.” According to a diplomatic memo based on American and Israeli intelligence, Khamenei is currently unable to take part in any government decisions.
The memo, shared with Gulf allies and seen by The Times, marks the first time the location of Iran’s new leader has been publicly confirmed. Qom, located 87 miles south of Tehran, is considered the religious heart of Shia Islam.
“Mojtaba Khamenei is being treated in Qom in a severe condition, unable to be involved in any decision-making by the regime,” the memo states.
With Mojtaba unable to sign decrees or lead, the question circulating in the Majlis halls and Tehran streets is no longer whether the system is changing, but who is now running the country.
What the Memo says
The younger Khamenei was wounded in the same US-Israeli airstrike on February 28 that killed his father, his mother, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel, and one of his sons. Since the start of the war, Mojtaba has not been seen or heard from publicly, despite being named the new supreme leader in early March.
Two statements attributed to Mojtaba, 56, have been read on Iranian state television. A video showing him walking into a war room and examining a map of Israel’s Dimona nuclear plant was released on Monday. According to the Times report, the video appears AI-generated, and there is no recording of his voice, supporting the reports that he remains in critical condition.
While Iranian officials insist he is “in charge,” opposition groups claim he is in a coma, and some reports suggest he has suffered a broken leg and facial injuries.
Who is running Iran now?
Mojtaba’s reported incapacity has raised questions about whether the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now effectively running the country, with Mojtaba potentially reduced to a figurehead.
According to the Foundation for Defence of Democracies (FDD), Iranian leaders like Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, SNSC Chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Law Enforcement Chief Ahmad-Reza Radan now control both internal security and military operations, keeping the regime stable despite the absence of its new supreme leader.
Preparations underway for Ali Khamenei’s burial
The memo also revealed that preparations are underway in Qom to bury Mojtaba’s father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Officials are reportedly planning a large mausoleum for more than one grave, hinting that other family members, or possibly Mojtaba himself, could eventually be interred there.