Tehran, March 22 -- US and Israeli intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Mossad, along with other international agencies were closely monitoring Iran during the Nowruz processions to see whether the Islamic Republic's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, would deliver the customary public address on eve of the Persian New Year.
However, post the holiday, only a written statement was issued by the leader, creating heavy uncertainty over his physical condition, all the while his whereabouts and his involvement in the war remain unknown.
Mojtaba has been a mysterious figure to begin with, having previously operated behind the shadows and out of public view during the reign of his father Ali Khamenei, though he is said to have been a ...