Mojtaba Injured, A 'Board' Of Generals Helps Take The Calls In Iran

The report says Mojtaba manages the country as though he is director of a board, relying on the advice of a group of generals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps who collectively make all decisions. The generals are described as the board members. The Supreme Leader is gravely wounded but mentally sharp and engaged. One of his legs has been operated on thrice and he may use a prosthetic; his arm has undergone surgery and is regaining function; his face and lips are severely burnt, possibly requiring plastic surgery; he issues written statements rather than verbal ones. Decision-making has been delegated to the generals, with ultra-hard-liners still participating and clerics’ influence diminishing. The IRGC leads Iran’s power structure, with Ahmad Vahidi heading the Guards, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as head of the Supreme National Security Council, and Yahya Rahim Safavi remaining influential as a senior adviser. The elected government has been sidelined; the president and cabinet are focused on internal stability, supplies, and day-to-day governance. Diplomatic power has shifted from Abbas Araghchi to parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who plays a larger role in external engagement. Strategic decisions—ranging from operations against Israel and Gulf nations to maritime route closures and ceasefire arrangements with Washington—are driven by the Guards, including backchannel outreach and direct talks; senior Guard commanders are now part of Iran’s negotiating team with the United States. The system retains overlapping centers of power, with Pezeshkian and Araghchi still on the National Security Council and the balance tilted toward the military.

Following US-Israeli strikes, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. Mojtaba Khamenei sustained injuries and has gone into hiding. His wife and son were killed in the bombing. Access to Mojtaba has been restricted to doctors and medical staff, and treatment is overseen by Iran’s health minister and President Masoud Pezeshkian. To prevent Israeli tracking and potential strikes, senior Iranian military and political leaders have ceased visiting Mojtaba.