The New York Times: Khamenei ‘Mentally Sharp,’ Governing Iran via IRGC ‘Board’
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since his appointment in March, which came days after he was wounded in a strike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains “mentally sharp and engaged” and is overseeing the country through a small circle of trusted commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to a report published Thursday by The New York Times citing senior Iranian officials.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since his appointment in March, which came days after he was wounded in a strike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei. Earlier this month, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that the Iranian leader was “likely disfigured” in the attack.
According to the report, Khamenei receives handwritten updates on domestic and international developments and communicates with the public through written statements rather than televised appearances.
Iranian politician Abdolreza Davari, who has known Khamenei personally and previously served under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, described the leader’s governing style as resembling that of a “board director.”
“He appoints board members he trusts to make all the decisions,” Davari was quoted as saying, adding that senior IRGC generals effectively act as "board members” to manage key areas such as defense and foreign policy.
The reported leadership structure marks a significant departure from the centralized rule of his father, who exercised broad personal authority prior to his death in an Israeli strike at the outset of the military campaign known as Operation Roaring Lion.