New York Times reports Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is severely injured and in hiding, IRGC commanders now drive key military and diplomatic decisions in Tehran
A group of senior Iranian military commanders is effectively steering key decisions in Tehran as the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei remains largely out of direct control and communicates through handwritten letters, according to a New York Times report.
The report said Khamenei, who was seriously injured in US-Israeli airstrikes earlier this year, has limited access to officials and is not exercising centralised authority in the way his father, the late Ali Khamenei, once did. Instead, power has shifted to top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), described by insiders as functioning like a “board of generals” guiding strategy and governance.
Leader Communicating Through Letters
According to the report, Khamenei is in hiding and his communication is being routed through handwritten notes sealed in envelopes and passed along a chain of trusted couriers. These messages travel across highways and back roads before reaching their destination, with responses sent back the same way.
Access to the leader is said to be extremely restricted, with even senior officials and military chiefs avoiding direct contact due to fears of being targeted. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, has reportedly been involved in overseeing his medical treatment.
Injuries Limit Direct Control
The report said Khamenei sustained severe injuries in the strikes, including burns to his face and damage to his limbs, leaving him with limited ability to speak and move. He has undergone multiple surgeries and is expected to require further treatment, including reconstructive procedures.
Despite this, officials cited in the report described him as mentally alert, though physically constrained, contributing to his reliance on intermediaries and advisers.
Generals Driving Key Decisions
Analysts and former officials told the publication that decision-making has shifted significantly, with IRGC commanders now taking the lead on major issues, including military strategy, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and diplomatic engagement with the United States.
A former adviser to ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying Khamenei is operating more like a “director of the board,” with generals acting as the key decision-makers. Others described him as not being in full command, with decisions often presented to him after being finalised.
Shift From Centralised Authority
The arrangement marks a departure from the earlier system under Ali Khamenei, who maintained firm, centralised control over Iran’s political and military apparatus.