The Mojtaba mystery: CIA searches for signs of Iran's new leader

The CIA and Israeli intelligence are struggling to determine whether Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is actually directing the country after he broke with tradition by refusing to deliver a video address during Nowruz on Friday, releasing only a written Telegram statement instead. While U.S. and Israeli agencies have intercepted evidence that Mojtaba remains alive—including Iranian officials attempting to schedule meetings with him—a senior Israeli official told Axios "We have no evidence that he is really the one giving orders." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed Mojtaba was "wounded and likely disfigured" in the Israeli strike that killed his father in early March, raising questions about his ability to govern. CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Gen. James Adams testified to Congress on Thursday that Iran faces a "deep command and control crisis" following the recent assassinations of security chief Ali Larijani and other top officials, though neither agency sees imminent regime collapse. Israeli officials believe the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is effectively running Iran in the power vacuum, while Israel continues to pursue regime change as a war objective.