The Iranian people know their new supreme leader only from images generated by AI
Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public even once since officially taking office.
The lack of video addresses and live appearances has sparked a wave of rumors about his possible death or critical health condition following the airstrikes.
According to The Wall Street Journal, professional television announcers are reading official addresses to the people on behalf of the head of state.
Such secrecy fuels speculation that Mojtaba Khamenei may have been seriously wounded during joint U.S.-Israeli operations. To date, Iranian authorities have provided no credible evidence that the country’s leader is in satisfactory condition.
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed office following the death of his father, Ali, who was killed on the first day of hostilities as a result of an Israeli strike. The tragedy also claimed the lives of other family members: the former leader’s wife, sister, and young son.
There are reports that Mojtaba himself was also injured during the attack, though “the question is how severe the injury was.”
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that Khamenei sustained very serious injuries during the shelling.
Despite the apparent chaos in the top leadership, the Iranian regime has so far managed to maintain tight control over the situation within the country. The security apparatus is operating in high gear to prevent internal unrest.
Two senior Iranian officials confirmed in private conversations with journalists that the new leader had been wounded.
At the same time, they categorically deny that he is incapacitated, asserting that he is in hiding solely for security reasons. According to them, Khamenei’s public appearance is currently impossible due to the high risk of further assassination attempts.
Analysts note that Iranian propaganda is actively using staged scenes to create the illusion of the leader’s presence.
Many published photos, including a new profile picture on the social media platform “X,” show signs of having been generated by artificial intelligence. This only fuels doubts about the actual state of health of the Ayatollah’s successor.
As a reminder, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but there is a caveat.
Iran is also weakened after the strikes, but the regime is holding on.
