Rumors over Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition and confusion over Iran’s chain of command have raised questions about who is currently making decisions in Tehran, Dr. Thamar Eilam Gindin told 103FM on Tuesday.
The Iran expert and University of Haifa researcher spoke with hosts Yinon Magal and Ben Caspit about the situation in Iran, including the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the authority of President Masoud Pezeshkian, and whether unnamed power centers are using Khamenei’s name to legitimize decisions.
“Whether Mojtaba is well is a question we have been asking since February 28,” Eilam Gindin said. “The answer changes with every leak. Rumors that he is dead are multiplying, which is what many thought from the beginning.”
She said speculation intensified after a ceremony in a small Iranian city honoring “martyrs of the war,” where his photograph reportedly appeared among the images displayed.
Eilam Gindin said Mojtaba Khamenei had long remained in the background, unlike former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who was publicly promoted before his death in a 2024 helicopter crash. Mojtaba’s roles, she said, have largely been unofficial or unclear.
Unnamed power centers may be speaking in Khamenei’s name
Eilam Gindin said an unidentified group may be issuing statements in Khamenei’s name while using him as a source of legitimacy for decisions made elsewhere.
“There is a group, and it is not clear who they are, that says things in Mojtaba’s name and uses him as legitimacy for the decisions they make,” she said.
She described the phenomenon as part of what has been called the Iranian “deep state,” adding that it remains unclear who belongs to the group, how it operates, or how decisions are being made.
Asked about developments in the Persian Gulf and the possibility of escalation, Eilam Gindin said senior Iranian military figures had threatened a severe response if the United States acted without coordination with Tehran.
She referred to a report that the Islamic Republic attacked a vessel assisting ships in the area and said the IRGC appeared to be acting independently.
“The Revolutionary Guards are now doing things on their own,” she said. “President Masoud Pezeshkian did not know about it. He is not relevant, but he still exists.”
Eilam Gindin said Pezeshkian was angry that the attack had not been coordinated with him, adding that the episode reflected a lack of coordination between Iran’s political and military power centers.
She also addressed what she described as a quiet protest sentiment inside Iran, saying the country’s economic and social situation had deteriorated sharply.
“There is nothing left to destroy in Tehran,” she said. “The situation is truly difficult, the economic situation. They are waiting for an order from their prince to go out. I am certain it is only a matter of time before they do.”
She argued that the regime had become more brutal as it weakened, citing accelerated executions and internal repression.
“Because the current regime is weaker, it is more cruel,” she said.
Eilam Gindin said calls to action should be routed through exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whom she described as the figure most capable of uniting opposition forces.
“The calls to action should simply be passed through the prince,” she said. “The crown prince’s call to action will do it.”