Iran's Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei Remains Out of Public View as IRGC Influence Grows

According to Jin10, six months after Mujtaba Khamenei became Iran's Supreme Leader, he has still not appeared before the Iranian public in any form or spoken publicly, leaving a vacuum at the core of the country's leadership. Senior officials and other people familiar with the matter attributed Khamenei's absence to fears of assassination, while sources said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has gained further power since the war began and remains at the center of top strategic decision-making in the restructured ruling system around the Supreme National Security Council. The top power circle includes the Revolutionary Guard's top commander, as well as President Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Qalibaf. Sources said Mujtaba has in fact been meeting with these senior figures, taking part fully in policy discussions and holding final decision-making authority on all major issues. A senior Iranian official said only a small number of officials can still meet Mujtaba directly, and a person close to his inner circle said his health is improving significantly and that he is sharp-minded and involved in decision-making.