Despite continuing its full-scale war against the United States, Iran’s power is now more vested in the military than in the religious leadership. The country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has undergone several major surgeries, leaving him unable to directly focus on running the state.
This was stated in a report in the New York Times. It said that after the assassination of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei took over the reins. He has not been seen in public since taking office last March. No audio or video message from him has been released so far.
In the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, a group of experienced commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have become the main driving force in determining Iran’s security apparatus, military strategy, and foreign policy. Top Revolutionary Guard officers now serve as key decision-makers on matters such as war and diplomacy.