Mojtaba Khamenei Alive but Revolutionary Guard Dominates Iranian Regime

According to Financial News, Mojtaba Khamenei, widely seen as the likely next supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is believed to be alive but has effectively lost control over the country's governance.
On the 23rd local time, The Jerusalem Post, citing sources in the intelligence communities of Israel and the United States of America (US), reported that Mojtaba Khamenei is currently injured but alive. The report added that it will likely take several more days before his exact condition becomes clear.
Intelligence officials assess that Mojtaba is far from wielding the kind of absolute, centralized power once held by his late father, former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
One intelligence source said that the balance of power inside the Islamic Republic of Iran has tilted heavily toward the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), rather than resting with Mojtaba as an individual.
In other words, it is likely not Mojtaba who is controlling the IRGC, but the IRGC that is controlling him. Even if he takes part in formal decision-making processes, his authority is seen as highly limited and largely symbolic.
The report also noted that ahead of Nowruz, the Persian New Year and the country's biggest holiday, many had expected Mojtaba to demonstrate his vigor through a video or audio message. In reality, however, only a written statement and a few still photographs were released.
The fact that it is unclear when those photos were taken is further fueling doubts about his true state of health and the extent of his control, The Jerusalem Post added.

jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter