Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is incapacitated and undergoing treatment in the holy city of Qom, 150 km south of Tehran. This is reported by UNN with reference to The Times.
Details
According to US and Israeli intelligence, the son of the assassinated long-time leader Ali Khamenei is unconscious and being treated for a "severe" illness. At the same time, the body of the elder Khamenei is being prepared for burial in Qom - the center of Shiite spiritual authority, the religious capital of Iran. From there, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989 - began his journey.
However, Iranian officials insist that Khamenei is still in charge of the country, despite his unstable health. The opposition to the Islamic regime claims that he is in a coma in the hospital, while some of the population suggests that he suffered a broken leg and facial injuries.
Reports of incapacitation have called into question Khamenei's status in a country where the supreme leader is the absolute political and religious authority. This could lead to speculation that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) effectively maintains control over the country, and Khamenei is a silent puppet or a nominal figure.
Recall
Iran's representative to the UN stated that the country's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is completely healthy and capable of governing the country. The new leader's absence from public view is explained by security measures.