Mossad and CIA Hunt for Iran's Hidden Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Mossad and the CIA are conducting a complex intelligence operation to locate Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader, who has not appeared publicly since the February attack that killed his father, Ali Khamenei. It remains unclear whether Mojtaba survived the strike or what his current medical condition is. Conflicting reports have ranged from claims that he can still function to suggestions of severe injuries and facial disfigurement.

According to The Times, the main challenge for Israeli and American intelligence is Mojtaba's digital silence. He has reportedly avoided using phones or laptops and left no technological traces for over 150 days, likely hiding in an underground bunker to evade satellite surveillance. Unlike the operation that located Ali Khamenei through cyber capabilities and environmental tracking, the current effort relies heavily on human intelligence, including agents, informants, and insiders within the Iranian regime.

Intelligence communities remain divided on whether Mojtaba is alive and concealed in Iran’s subterranean facilities or if he died from the attack or subsequent wounds, while the Revolutionary Guards continue to project an image of control and leadership continuity. Former intelligence officials suggest that if Mojtaba is found, it will probably be through someone close to him. The Iranian regime is aware of this threat and complicates efforts by isolating him, using intermediaries, multiple layers of communication, and decoys.

Even if Mojtaba’s location is discovered, American and Israeli officials face a strategic dilemma: whether to act against him or avoid triggering his replacement by a potentially more extreme and unpredictable figure.