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Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is little more than an "empty entity" who is not at the helm of the regime, according to Israeli national security sources.
The son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who was killed in a targeted Israeli strike on Feb. 28 — is also linked to what officials describe as a "misfunctioning" regime.
"The new leader is an empty entity," Kobi Michael, a defense analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital.
"Mojtaba Khamenei does not appear in public, but we also have reliable information that he does not control or lead the regime — or what has been left of the regime."
"The current Iranian leadership is broken, confused and is almost misfunctioning," Michael added.
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A mourner holds a poster depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, the successor to his late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as supreme leader, during the funeral procession for senior Iranian military officials and civilians killed during the U.S.-Israel campaign in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)
Mojtaba reportedly escaped death by minutes when his father was killed Feb. 28, leaving the compound for a walk shortly before an Israeli missile strike, according to leaked audio accessed by The Telegraph.
The audio — reportedly from a Mar. 12 meeting — revealed details about the strikes that also took out several members of the Khamenei family.
Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Khamenei’s office, is supposedly heard in the audio telling senior leaders that Mojtaba suffered "a minor injury to his leg."
Since being named supreme leader, Mojtaba has not made one public appearance. Instead, a message by him was read out on Iranian state TV warning of continued strikes and urging Gulf nations to shut down U.S. bases.
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Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, speaks during a press conference after his meeting with the Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 13, 2025. Gholamreza Soleimani, a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who commands Basij forces, attends a gathering during Basij Week in the Iranian capital Tehran on Nov. 24, 2019. ((AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File; Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images, File))
Other reports claimed Mojtaba was in critical condition or even in a coma, though Iranian officials have insisted that the new supreme leader is in good health.
Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge Wednesday after the killing of senior security official Ali Larijani in an Israeli strike, but only again in a statement released.
"Such acts of terror only reflect the enemies’ hostility and will strengthen the resolve of the Islamic nation. Undoubtedly, justice will be served," the statement said.
Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s top security figures, was killed after Israeli intelligence reportedly located him and other officials on the outskirts of Tehran.
Other senior figures have also been killed in recent strikes, including Basij militia leader Gholamreza Soleimani, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
"This is not a new phase, but a continuing effort and a very successful and impressive one and a crucial component of the strategy meant to weaken the Iranian regime," Michael said of the continued strikes at regime figures.
"This is to the degree that it will not be able to reconstitute itself and/or to become again a severe threat and destabilizing player in the broader Middle East."
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President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
Following the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes, President Donald Trump told the Iranian people that their "moment of freedom" was at hand.
"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take," Trump said, suggesting the U.S. would help bring down the Iranian regime.
"At the very same time, by weakening the regime and paralyzing its capacities generally speaking and its domestic control specifically, the U.S. and Israel are facilitating the required conditions for the Iranian people to topple the regime," Michael added.
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"This is the ultimate victory in their eyes, and the route to this destination is that they are trying to increase any damage wherever they can."
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
