Israeli security officials have rejected reports that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, fled the country, saying he remains inside Iran after surviving the assassination attempt at the beginning of the war and continues to issue instructions despite being wounded.

“He is wounded, he is alive and he continues to give orders,” one Israeli official said. “In Iran, they are still waiting for his position and his instructions.”

Khamenei has not appeared publicly since he was injured during the opening strike of Operation Lion’s Roar, in which his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was killed. His public statements since then have been issued only in writing, fueling questions over how much authority he still exercises.

Israeli officials believe his absence may be intended to conceal his location and prevent another assassination attempt. One official described him as physically injured and politically weak, while another said he has become heavily dependent on senior Revolutionary Guard commander Ahmad Vahidi.

“Mojtaba is in Iran,” the official said. “He is wounded and is a very weak figure who is being managed by Vahidi. They are deliberately building a sense of mystery around him, but the truth is that Vahidi writes everything for him. He is not really an important figure.”

Israeli assessments indicate that the Revolutionary Guard is increasingly controlling the government’s decision-making process, with Vahidi and other senior commanders taking a larger role in military affairs, communications and relations with foreign powers.

Khamenei reportedly suffered severe facial burns during the attack and has remained in a protected hiding place. In recent days, he issued a written statement apparently intended to reassure supporters, but did not appear publicly or deliver a video address.

An Israeli security official said Khamenei’s condition does not necessarily mean he has lost all control, but that he is governing under major restrictions and remains almost entirely concealed.

Israeli officials are avoiding definitive conclusions about the precise balance of power in Tehran. Their assessment is that Khamenei remains inside Iran and still participates in decisions, but that his personal authority has weakened significantly as the Revolutionary Guard tightens its grip over the regime.

Russia may become the first foreign country to establish direct contact with Khamenei. Russia’s TASS news agency reported, citing an Iranian source, that he could soon hold a telephone conversation or meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

For now, Israel’s central assessment is not that Iran has no leader, but that its supreme leader is wounded, isolated and increasingly dependent on the military organization that helped elevate him.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)