IRGC Generals Sidelining Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to Rule Iran by Committee

Report: Mojtaba Khamenei is a figurehead while IRGC generals rule Iran. Severe injuries and security threats have shifted power to the Revolutionary Guard.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 9:21 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The New York Times

The Emergence of a Military Directorate

The centralized authority once wielded by the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has shifted into the hands of senior commanders within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a detailed report by The New York Times. Following the death of the elder Khamenei in a February 28 U.S.-Israeli airstrike, his son, Mojtaba, assumed the title of Supreme Leader but has yet to exercise its full power. Instead, current and former Iranian officials describe a new governance model where the IRGC functions as a "board of directors," presenting the Supreme Leader with finished decisions rather than seeking his initiative. This structural shift marks the most significant change in the Islamic Republic’s power dynamics since its founding in 1979.

Physical Impairment and Leadership From the Shadows

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a public appearance or issued an audio statement since his appointment in March, a silence attributed to catastrophic injuries sustained during the strike that killed his father. Intelligence reports indicate the younger Khamenei suffered severe facial disfigurement and burns that have significantly hampered his ability to speak. Currently residing in a secure, undisclosed location to avoid potential assassination, his communication with the outside world is restricted to handwritten notes delivered by a tight circle of couriers. This physical and logistical isolation has created a power vacuum that the Revolutionary Guard’s top brass has been quick to fill, citing the necessity of wartime continuity.

Subservience to the Revolutionary Guard

Experts on Iranian leadership suggest that Mojtaba’s ascent was facilitated by the IRGC, creating a relationship of dependency that his father never tolerated. Sanam Vakil, a director at Chatham House, noted that the Supreme Leader is frequently presented with "fait accompli" scenarios where major state moves are decided before they reach his desk. Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group further characterized Mojtaba as "subservient" to the military elite, arguing that the title of Supreme Leader has become secondary to the collective will of the generals. This dynamic has effectively transformed Iran into a military-led state with a clerical veneer.