US and Israeli intelligence agencies are trying to unravel the “mystery“ surrounding the prolonged absence of Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei from public appearances, Axios reports, citing intelligence sources and US officials.
Both the US and Israel have intelligence indicating that Mojtaba Khamenei is alive. There is evidence that Iranian officials have tried to arrange personal meetings with him, although they have failed due to security concerns, the publication writes.
According to the source, the “mystery“ The issue of the Iranian leader's absence has been raised several times in special intelligence briefings for US President Donald Trump. His national security team is still trying to determine who really controls Tehran, a US official told Axios.
A senior Israeli official, for his part, admitted in an interview with the publication that his country's intelligence services have no evidence that Mojtaba Khamenei is giving the orders.
"It's just incredibly strange. We don't think the Iranians would go to all this effort to elect a dead man as supreme leader, but at the same time we have no evidence that he is running the country," the US official added.
The CIA, Mossad and other intelligence agencies around the world are monitoring whether the new Iranian leader will address the nation on the occasion of Nowruz, the publication reports. The holiday falls on the vernal equinox on March 21 and marks the beginning of the new year according to the astronomical solar calendar.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has already released a video message to mark Nowruz, Axios reported. A written message calling for unity, along with several photos of the new supreme leader, appeared on Mojtaba Khamenei’s Telegram channel.
The CIA is trying to determine whether the photos are recent, a U.S. official said. “We expected to see Mojtaba in some form. He didn’t take advantage of the opportunity and the tradition,” he said, calling it a “serious red flag.”
Mojtaba Khamenei was elected Iran’s new supreme leader after the assassination of his predecessor and father, Ali Khamenei, in a U.S.-Israeli operation. His first public address was published on March 12, but the new supreme leader has not appeared in public for two weeks.
The Pentagon reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was “wounded and possibly disfigured“. Trump, for his part, expressed doubt that he was alive.
Tehran confirmed that the new leader was wounded. However, he has minor injuries, "he is in full health and in control of the situation," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
The energy transport problems caused by the conflict in the Middle East could last for years, Axios reports.
“A ceasefire or an agreement to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will not end supply disruptions, which could last for months and in some cases years,“ the publication said, citing expert assessments.
According to Capital.com financial analyst Kyle Rod, attacks on energy infrastructure could have long-term consequences. He notes that the restoration of production capacity may be delayed, and the decline in energy prices will be slow.