Is Mojtaba Khamenei alive or dead? The intelligence hunt for the missing heir

Since the strike that eliminated Ali Khamenei, his son and heir Mojtaba has not been seen in public. Intelligence officials are trying to determine his condition, while the Iranian regime spreads conflicting messages. Assessments range from death to severe injury and hiding. His absence from his father's funeral raised questions, and the regime is trying to project control.

Since the strike on February 28, which eliminated Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his son and designated heir Mojtaba Khamenei has disappeared from public view. An Israeli source confirmed that Ali Khamenei was eliminated, but a heavy fog remains around Mojtaba's condition. Intelligence assessments range from death to severe injury and hiding in a safe location. Oded Eilam, former head of the Counter-Terrorism Division in the Mossad, assesses that Israel knows his true condition, but the central question is whether he is still making decisions or has become a "puppet" of the Revolutionary Guards. Within Iran, conflicting versions are being circulated: a defector from the Revolutionary Guards claims Mojtaba was killed, while Iran's UN representative claims his face was severely injured. His absence from his father's funeral raised unusual questions, and social media dubbed him "the cardboard" after his picture was displayed at a swearing-in ceremony in his place. The regime is trying to project control, including a mysterious meeting between President Pezeshkian and a man presented as the heir, but even the president was not sure of his identity. The mystery remains.