Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei 'misfunctioning,' not controlling regime: Iranian leadership is broken and confused

Iran’s New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Described as “Empty Entity” Amid Regime Dysfunction

Israeli national security sources have characterized Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly appointed supreme leader of Iran and son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as little more than an “empty entity” who is not effectively leading the regime.

Kobi Michael, a defense analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, stated that Mojtaba Khamenei “does not appear in public” and that reliable information indicates he neither controls nor leads what remains of the Iranian regime. The current leadership was described as “broken, confused and almost misfunctioning.”

Mojtaba narrowly escaped death during the February 28 Israeli strike that killed his father, reportedly leaving the compound for a walk minutes before the missile impact.

Leaked audio from a March 12 meeting, accessed by The Telegraph, revealed that Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Khamenei’s office, informed senior leaders that Mojtaba suffered only a “minor injury to his leg” in the attack, which also claimed several other members of the Khamenei family.

Since his appointment as supreme leader, Mojtaba has made no public appearances. A message attributed to him was instead read on Iranian state television, warning of continued strikes and calling on Gulf nations to close U.S. military bases.

The developments come amid ongoing regional escalation following the U.S.-Israel campaign that significantly degraded Iran’s missile capabilities and targeted high-level regime figures.

President Trump has vowed to respond forcefully to any further Iranian aggression, stating intentions to hit the regime “very hard” after operations reportedly destroyed nearly 90 percent of its missile arsenal.