Iran's New Leader Maintains Low Profile, U.S. and Israeli Officials Struggle to Assess Iran's Internal Situation

Odaily Planet Daily reports that during Norouz on Friday, the CIA, Mossad, and other intelligence agencies around the world closely monitored whether Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mujtaba, would follow his father’s tradition of delivering a New Year message. However, Mujtaba only left a written statement, making his health, whereabouts, and role in the war even more mysterious. It is not surprising that Mujtaba has remained in hiding; since his father’s assassination, Israel has made it clear that Mujtaba is now its primary target. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also claimed that Mujtaba was injured and possibly disfigured in previous attacks. But three weeks have passed, and Mujtaba has not even released a pre-recorded video statement, and his silence is becoming increasingly shocking. Intelligence held by the U.S. and Israel indicates that Mujtaba is still alive, with evidence suggesting Iranian officials have attempted to arrange meetings with him. A U.S. official said that Trump’s national security team is still working to assess who is truly in control of Tehran. An Israeli senior official claimed, “There is no evidence that Mujtaba is actually issuing orders.” CIA Director William Burns and Defense Intelligence Agency Director General James Adams testified that the Iranian regime is experiencing a serious command and control crisis, but there are no signs of imminent collapse. (AXIOS)