Report: Mojtaba Khamenei Said to Be Outside Iran as Power Struggles Rock Tehran

Saudi channel Al Hadath published exclusive quotes this morning (Sunday) from an Israeli security source, claiming that a severe upheaval is taking place at the highest levels of the Iranian regime. According to the statements attributed to the source, the country’s chain of command is in crisis, internal disputes between rival power centers have intensified, and Mojtaba Khamenei — who had been marked as his father’s successor — is not in Iran.

According to the source, messages attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei are not being written by him: "The messages of Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, were written by Ahmad Vahidi and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards." He also claimed that Khamenei’s absence from the country is being accompanied by fierce power struggles within the security and political establishment.

The Israeli source added that the internal crisis in Tehran is continuing to deepen: "The internal disputes in Iran are deep and threaten the very existence of the Revolutionary Guards."

At the same time, the security source revealed information alleging that Iran had planned a revenge operation against Israel following the killing of the former supreme leader. According to him, "Iran planned to assassinate Israeli figures in Tel Aviv as revenge for the killing of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei."

Alongside the developments inside Iran, the source also addressed the U.S. position amid the regional escalation. According to him, "Washington does not want Tel Aviv to take part in operations even if Iran bombs it." In his account, the Americans are seeking to prevent a slide into a broader regional war, even in the event of a direct Iranian attack.