As Iran reels under the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Persian-language account of Mossad has put up a post that questions the alleged power struggles within the Supreme Leader’s Office. Insinuating that the Supreme Leader’s son and heir, Mojataba Khamenei, Iran’s presumed next Supreme Leader, is working to hide his father’s latest instructions, the post added: “Why did Mojtaba burn his father’s will”?
According to Israeli media, this question is directly related to the hidden power struggles in Tehran, and to the possibility that Mojtaba destroyed the document detailing his father’s will. They believe there is a rift within the Supreme Leader's office, as Mojtaba Khamenei is determined to change the order of power and succession left by his father.
Throughout his decades of rule, Ali Khamenei avoided naming an official and public successor, possibly to prevent rivalries while he was still alive. With his death, a dangerous leadership vacuum was created, according to the Mossad. Mojtaba is taking advantage of the situation to alter realities on the ground and to eliminate any original directives from his father that could stand in his way to the leadership, the agency believes.
Speculations are that the main reason for the current struggle lies in Ali Khamenei's self -preservation strategy, who feared that a designated heir would challenge his rule while he was still alive. The question published by the Mossad, "Why was the will burned?", hints at intelligence information that there were heated debates in Tehran over the content of the last document.
Mojtaba has reportedly been chosen as the successor, though Iran has yet to confirm it. However, Iran’s Mehr News said that the clerical body that will choose Iran’s next supreme leader has reached a majority consensus, though there is no mention of Mojtaba’s name. The general chatter is that Mojtaba, who was the most powerful man in the security apparatus and a preferred candidate for the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), will take over as the Supreme Leader.
However, many claim he fact that his father did not declare him as heir during his lifetime has put him in a problematic starting position with the Assembly of Experts. The destruction of the will may indicate that Ali Khamenei has designated a different figure for leadership or has ordered the establishment of an expanded council, according to Israeli media Channel 14.
Not just internally, Mojtaba also faces a hurdle in the form of the US, which has made it clear that Khamenei's son is an heir unacceptable to them. Trump even stated that he demands that he and his allies have influence in choosing Iran's next leader.
While Mojtaba tries to consolidate his hold, Iran is officially run by a provisional council that includes President Pazakhian and the heads of authorities.