A new intelligence assessment is raising fresh questions about who is actually running Iran.
According to a report citing a memo based on U.S. and Israeli intelligence, Mojtaba Khamenei is in “severe” condition and “unable to be involved in any decision-making,” weeks after being injured in early strikes tied to the outbreak of war.
The report, first cited by The Times of London, claims the 56-year-old is undergoing treatment in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. The memo alleges he has been effectively sidelined from governing as a result of his injuries.
If accurate, the implications are enormous. Khamenei was elevated as successor to Ali Khamenei following reports of his death during initial strikes, placing him at the center of Iran’s wartime command structure.
But his absence from public view has fueled a wave of competing narratives.
Some reports have suggested relatively minor injuries. Others have gone much further, claiming he may be in a coma. The latest memo lands firmly on the most severe end of that spectrum.
At the same time, Iranian state media has continued to broadcast written statements attributed to Khamenei, including threats to retaliate against the United States and Israel.
“I assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs,” one such statement read.
A later message, also attributed to him, pledged continued support for anti-American and anti-Israel militant groups across the region.
The contradiction is stark. Public messaging suggests an active leader. Intelligence assessments suggest someone unable to function. It raises the possibility that decisions are being made behind the scenes by other power centers inside the regime, with Khamenei’s name used to project continuity and control.
More over at The New York Post:
Iran's supreme leader unconscious and 'unable to be involved in any decision making' https://t.co/7JJpzH33SK pic.twitter.com/ji1KV05CZs
— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2026
