Iran's New Leader Remains Low-Key, U.S. and Israeli Officials Struggle to Assess Iran's Internal Situation

Odaily News During the Nowruz holiday on Friday, intelligence agencies including the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Mossad, and others around the world were closely monitoring whether Iran's new Supreme Leader Mujtaba would follow his father's tradition and deliver a New Year's address. However, Mujtaba only issued a written statement, further obscuring his physical condition, whereabouts, and role in the war. Mujtaba's continued concealment of his whereabouts is not surprising. Since his father's assassination, Israel has made it clear that Mujtaba is now its primary target. U.S. Secretary of Defense Haggeseth also claimed that Mujtaba was "injured, likely disfigured" in a previous attack. But three weeks have passed, and Mujtaba has not even released a pre-recorded video statement, making his silence increasingly astonishing. Intelligence gathered by the U.S. and Israel indicates that Mujtaba is still alive; for example, there is evidence that Iranian officials attempted to arrange meetings with him. A U.S. official stated that Trump's national security team is still working to assess who truly holds power in Tehran. A senior Israeli official claimed, "There is no evidence that Mujtaba is actually giving the orders." CIA Director Ratcliffe and Defense Intelligence Agency Director General James Adams testified that the Iranian regime is experiencing a severe command and control crisis but shows no signs of imminent collapse. (AXIOS website)