Iranian Power Struggle: Elites Exploit Mojtaba Khamenei’s Name as Oligarchic Rule Falters
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Iran’s entrenched political factions are cynically wielding the name of Mojtaba Khamenei to maintain their corrupt grip on power, even as doubts swirl about his actual role. Critics argue that this manipulation exposes the undemocratic, mafia-like nature of the regime.
Iran’s political elite, desperate to preserve their authoritarian system, are increasingly invoking Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s supposed authority to attack rivals and shore up their own positions. This comes as independent analysts highlight the glaring uncertainty about whether Khamenei is even participating in governance. Two reports by Iran International have exposed the regime’s internal contradictions: one cited senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi—a regime insider—claiming Khamenei threatened to accept President Masoud Pezeshkian’s resignation, a claim the president’s office denounced as 'baseless and an outright lie,' dismissing Kharrazi as a purveyor of regime propaganda. Another report, relying on unnamed sources, described a secretive, dehumanizing encounter in a darkened vehicle where Pezeshkian was denied even the basic courtesy of seeing or greeting Khamenei, raising serious questions about whether the supreme leader is even alive or capable of ruling. Pezeshkian’s own account of a cordial, lengthy meeting stands in stark contrast, further exposing the regime’s lack of transparency.
Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, condemned the contradictory narratives as evidence of a deeper power struggle within what he accurately called an 'Islamist oligarchic mafia system,' where the supreme leader acts as a shadowy 'godfather' among corrupt factions. Aarabi warned that Mojtaba Khamenei’s prolonged absence has created a power vacuum, prompting desperate factions to weaponize his name as a tool for self-preservation and the suppression of reform. 'Mojtaba’s name is the glue that’s holding this rotten system together right now,' he said.
Exiled journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, a longstanding critic of the regime, described the resignation rumors as a cynical ploy by reformist administrations to manipulate public sentiment before being inevitably crushed by the hardline establishment. Ghadimi noted that similar tactics were used during the presidencies of Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani, both of whom were ultimately betrayed by the system. He cast serious doubt on the existence of a functioning leader named Mojtaba Khamenei, suggesting he may be dead or incapacitated, with the regime hiding the truth to maintain its grip on power.
Aarabi cautioned that the regime’s continued reliance on Khamenei’s name, absent any real evidence of his leadership, risks eroding its effectiveness and could accelerate the collapse of the system as internal infighting intensifies and the myth of the supreme leader unravels.