Tectonic shift in Iran: The Supreme Leader is losing power

Mojtaba Khamenei, unlike his father—who “held absolute authority over all decisions on war, peace, and negotiations with the United States”—does not play the same role. Instead, a collective of commanders within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and those affiliated with them have become “the key decision-makers on issues of security, war, and diplomacy,” the report continues.

Abdolareza Davari, a former senior adviser to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said that Mojtaba “runs the country as if he were the chairman of a board.”

“He relies heavily on the advice and guidance of board members, and they collectively make all decisions. The generals are members of that board,” Davari said in a phone interview with The New York Times.

Sanam Vakil, director for the Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, who maintains contacts in Iran, said that the new ayatollah is often presented with “faits accomplis.”

“Mojtaba is not yet fully in command or in control,” Vakil said.

According to the report, Khamenei has been in hiding since February 28, when his parents were killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes. He was reportedly seriously injured, suffering severe burns and other injuries that have limited his ability to speak.

The report on Iran’s new power structure by The New York Times is based on interviews with six senior Iranian officials, two former officials, two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a senior cleric familiar with the system’s inner workings, and three individuals closely acquainted with Khamenei.

Nine other people with ties to the Guard and the government also described the command structure. All spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject matter.