Iran's New Supreme Leader Missing Amid Renewed US‑Iran Hostilities

Iran supreme leader missing leader US‑Iran attacks Israeli intelligence IRGC power struggle

Israeli intelligence officials, speaking to Saudi media, say the newly appointed supreme leader of Iran – referred to in reports as Modżtaba Chamenei – is not currently in Iran and may have left the country. The statements circulated under his name are believed to be authored by other senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Ahmad Wahidi.

The United States resumed aerial attacks on Iran after a brief cease‑fire, prompting Tehran to strike vessels linked to US allies in the Persian Gulf. Unconfirmed reports suggest the leader may have been seriously injured in a prior US‑Israeli strike that killed his father, former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. No verified photographs or video of the new leader have appeared since his designation on 8 March, fueling public demands for him to address the nation.

Internal rivalries are intensifying, with IRGC commanders and political officials contesting control over the response to the United States. The situation heightens regional tension, involving Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, while Iran’s leadership remains largely absent from public ceremonies.