Khamenei doubted son Mojtaba’s ability to rule, US intel says
Mojtaba unseen since strike that killed father as US intel reveals doubts
Dubai: US intelligence assessments shared with President Donald Trump suggest that Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had serious reservations about his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding him, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The intelligence, circulated to Trump and a small group of senior officials, indicated that the elder Khamenei considered his son unqualified for leadership and had concerns about his capabilities and personal conduct, the sources told CBS News.
According to the intelligence assessment, Ali Khamenei was wary of Mojtaba ever taking power, believing he lacked the qualities required to lead the Islamic Republic. The information also suggested the elder Khamenei was aware of issues in his son’s personal life, sources within the administration, intelligence community and people close to the president said.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was selected as Iran’s new supreme leader last weekend by the country’s council of senior clerics following the death of his father.
Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli missile strike during the opening phase of the US-Israeli war against Iran earlier this month.
However, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since the attack, fuelling speculation about his health and the stability of Iran’s leadership.
Officials in Washington say the younger Khamenei was likely injured in the same strike that killed his father. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was believed to be “wounded and likely disfigured,” though his exact condition remains unclear.
His only message since being named supreme leader has been a written statement circulated online, praising Iran’s armed forces and vowing resistance against the United States and Israel.
The absence of any public appearance has raised questions about who is directing Iran’s war strategy.
According to US officials briefed on the intelligence, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may now be playing the dominant role in decision-making, potentially marking a shift away from the centralized clerical authority that has defined Iran’s political system since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In private conversations, Trump has reportedly suggested that Iran may effectively be leaderless, saying he was unsure whether Mojtba Khamenei was even alive.
“Their leadership is gone. Their second leadership is gone. Now their third leadership is in trouble, and this is not somebody that the father even wanted,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.
