Iran Opposition Figure Claims: "Mojtaba Is Not Alive — He’s a Fictional Figure"

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli strike at the start of Operation "Roaring Lion." That is the claim made today (Thursday) by an Iranian opposition activist who runs an account called "Cyaxares." According to a report by Israel Hayom commentator Ariel Kahana, the Iranian activist stresses that Iran’s current "supreme leader" is a fictional figure. His "revival," he says, is meant to help the regime bridge internal disputes and survive.

It should be noted that, according to the Iranian activist, there is no factual verification from Western intelligence agencies, and Israel has not confirmed the information either. The assessment is that Khamenei’s son was in fact seriously wounded in the Israeli strike, but is alive and in hiding out of fear that there will be another attempt to eliminate him. The strike against him was carried out at the same time as the strike on the building where his father, Ali Khamenei, was staying; he was killed on the first day of the war.

The claims by the opposition account "Cyaxares," that Iran’s leader is a fiction, fit into a wave of international rumors and social media speculation surrounding his near-total disappearance from public view.

In recent months, all statements and speeches issued on behalf of Iran’s new supreme leader have been published in writing, and the regime has even used videos and images generated by artificial intelligence, fueling conspiracy theories about his death.

American officials say there are signs of Mojtaba’s involvement in running the country. Even so, the intelligence assessment of the American CIA is that the Revolutionary Guards, along with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf, are the ones actually running the state.