"Precise Counterattack Against the US Attack" — Who Is Actually in Charge in Iran?
Mujtaba Khamenei and Donald Trump. Photo.
Political scientist Maxim Zharov stated that it is still unclear who the actual power holder in Iran is. He believes that Iran has denied rumors about Mujtaba Khamenei being seriously injured and his father Ali Khamenei being secretly buried, but the denial was not very firm. Masoud Pezeshkian, son of the Iranian president, has denied the rumors about Mujtaba on his Telegram channel.
Regarding the claim that Ali Khamenei has been buried, Fars News Agency, which is closely related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, only denied the information about the burial location, but did not deny the fact of the burial itself.
At the same time, Tehran held a funeral for high-ranking military and Revolutionary Guard officials who died with Ali Khamenei on February 28. Zharov wrote on his Telegram channel that surprisingly, the new supreme leader of Iran did not make any speech at this public funeral ceremony — which should have been the best opportunity for him to prove that he is still alive and actually in charge of Iran's government.
The political scientist said, "This shows that Iran is currently clearly governed by a collective leadership, which is systematically implementing a pre-established plan to counter the US aggression. However, the state of the supreme leader of Iran remaining unseen cannot continue for long, because neither the mediators hoping to facilitate reconciliation between the Trump administration, Israel, and Iran, nor the aggressors themselves, can be sure which side they are negotiating with in Iran."
Zharov concluded, "Who does Iran's chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, represent now? Mujtaba Khamenei or the collective leadership of Iran? This question remains unanswered. Until Tehran gives a clear answer, the early end of the Middle East conflict is out of the question."
Original: toutiao.com/article/7616185083766129193/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.