In Khamenei's Absence, it's Unclear Who Rules in Tehran

Written messages attributed to absent Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei are shaping decisions in Tehran, Iran International reported, as Iran also moved to change leadership at its top security council.

The report said Khamenei has not appeared in public, leaving officials and powerful institutions to interpret his intentions. It said responsibility appears dispersed across a core establishment network, with military and security institutions best placed to turn their reading of his wishes into policy.

Iran International cited a message attributed to Khamenei on negotiations and a memorandum of understanding with the United States. The report said he allowed President Masoud Pezeshkian to take responsibility for negotiations and effectively permitted the agreement to be signed, while saying that “in principle” he had held a different view.

The phrase drew competing interpretations. The IRGC’s political deputy said, “This interpretation is incorrect and does not correspond with the existing realities,” rejecting suggestions that Khamenei fundamentally opposed negotiations. A military adviser to Khamenei said, “When the Leader says, ‘in principle, I held a different view,’ it means the path that Agha had in mind was better than the path taken by the Supreme National Security Council.”

The report also said Khamenei issued a decree appointing Mohsen Rezaei as his representative on the Supreme National Security Council, saying, “In view of your valuable experience, I hereby appoint you ... as my representative on the Supreme National Security Council.” It said the decree thanked Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr for his “tireless efforts day and night” but did not state that Zolghadr was stepping down as SNSC secretary.

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News later reported, citing the president’s office, that Pezeshkian had appointed Rezaei as SNSC secretary. Tabatabaei, deputy for communications and information at the president’s office, said Zolghadr had resigned and that Rezaei had been appointed by Pezeshkian’s decree. The SNSC coordinates Iran’s security and foreign policy, is chaired by the president and includes senior political, military and intelligence officials.