Dead Or Alive: Where’s Mojtaba, Iran’s New Leader?
Almost a week after the announcement of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, following the assassination of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, by the American/Israeli joint airstrikes, no public appearance has been made by Iran’s most powerful man.
The silence from Iran is so loud and deafening that it has started fuelling speculation about the whereabouts of the young Khamenei. It is believed in some quarters that no new leader will hold his peace that long when is country is embroiled in a war. Some are even saying Mojtaba was one of the casualties of the airstrikes that killed his father and other family members.
If Mojtaba was one of the casualties of the Israeli/US attack the question is: was he fatally wounded or slightly injured as NPR reported on Thursday morning? It’s improbable that Mojtaba died alongside his father and other kith and kin. For to what end will Iran announce a dead man to succeed his late father?. Is Ali’s son in rude health if he actually survived the airstrikes that killed his father?
Although Mojtaba has never been known to be an extremely sociable man, even when his father was in power he kept a low profile. No doubt, he was powerful during his father’s reign as a report in AP described him as “the power behind the robes”. Even while in the shadows of his father he wielded enormous clout, particularly in the powerful revolutionary guards, influencing the emergence into power of some politicians.
However, if Mojtaba was an intensely reserved and private person before now the event that led to his father’s death and the eventual declaration of him as the new Islamic leader ought to have changed his lifestyle. The destiny of a nation of millions now rests squarely on his shoulders. The buck now stops on his table. This is no time for vacillation. No time for disappearing act. Time is of essence.
Two things may be responsible for Mojtaba’s silence in the past 4 days or thereabouts:
1. Perhaps the Islamic leader was killed days after being elected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts. Recall that President Donald Trump of the US has vowed to make the reign of anyone that succeeds Ali Khamenei without his endorsement short-lived.
“If he doesn’t get approval from us, he is not going to last long” Trump said.
The Iran’s Assembly did not seek Trump’s consent before announcing a person of its choice as the Islamic Republic next leader. Has Mojtaba been assassinated like his father?
Any leader appointed by the Iranian terrorist regime to continue leading the plan to destroy Israel, threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and oppress the Iranian people – will be an unequivocal target for elimination.”
2 The second likely reason for Mojtaba’s silence may be to avoid assassination. Perhaps the Iran’s new leader is holing himself up in one impregnable fortress to avoid being located and targeted by the duo of Israel and the US. US and Israel are so tech-savvy that could use the new leader’s voice to locate and target him for assassination
“Any leader appointed by the Iranian terrorist regime to continue leading the plan to destroy Israel, threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and oppress the Iranian people – will be an unequivocal target for elimination.” Israel said immediately after the announcement of Mojtaba as his father’s successor.
NB: At the time of filing this report news broke that the new Islamic leader has delivered his first speech
Reporting the development, the NPR hedged its reports with “purported”, a word signifies ‘uncertainty”.
“It’s unclear if the statement, read out by a different person’s voice on Iranian state media and broadcast around the world, was from Mojtaba Khomeini himself.” NPR reports.
Still a disembodied voice… to say the least, nothing has radically changed in Tehran. The young Khan has not spoken in the real sense of the word.
