Speculation is growing that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be “in hiding” after the country’s Assembly of Experts selected him as successor to his father.
Ali Khamenei led Iran for more than 30 years before he was assassinated during an air strike in Tehran on February 28.
In the immediate aftermath, Iran briefly had no supreme leader in place, before Mojtaba was chosen to take over. He has been described as an “enigma” and someone unlikely to project the same kind of charisma as his father.
On Wednesday, Mojtaba made what is being treated as his first public communication since being appointed, with a written message delivered via state television rather than an appearance in person.
His absence from the broadcast has intensified questions about where he is and what condition he is in.
“The will of the masses is to continue the effective and regrettable defense,” the message read, as per The Jerusalem Post.
“Also, the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be used. Studies have been conducted on opening other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be extremely vulnerable in them, and their activation will be carried out if the war situation continues and based on the observance of interests.”
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has been linked to sharp increases in energy costs. Gas prices began climbing on March 3 and reached $3.49 per gallon on Wednesday (March 11).
In the statement, Mojtaba also indicated Iran intends to expand strikes on US bases across Gulf Arab States, adding that the countries hosting those sites have been warned in advance.
Up to now, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among those reported to have been hit.
At the same time, he said Iran still supports “the need for friendship between ourselves and our neighbors.”
“These countries must make their duty clear to the invaders of our beloved homeland and the murderers of our people,” Mojtaba penned. “I recommend that they close those bases as soon as possible, because they must have realized by now that the claim of establishing security and peace by America was nothing more than a lie.”
Separate reports have claimed Mojtaba is still receiving medical care following the February 28 strike that killed his father, mother, wife, and other relatives.
Exactly how badly he was injured remains uncertain. Some accounts have alleged he fell into a coma, while an unnamed Iranian official told Reuters he was only “lightly injured.”
Meanwhile, Iranian state media has reportedly referred to Mojtaba as a “janbaz,” a label commonly associated with disabled war veterans.
Hadi Ghaemi, founder and executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), has suggested Mojtaba may be avoiding public view.
Speaking to USA Today, Ghaemi said that the new Iranian leader is ‘maybe being kept in hiding, which only adds more uncertainty and speculation to his whereabouts’.
Adding to the uncertainty, Yousef Pezeshkian — the son and adviser of President Masoud Pezeshkian — wrote on his Telegram channel that Mojtaba is in a “safe and in a secure location,” per Euro News.