'Not in Iran': Israeli source says supreme leader absent as internal power struggle deepens

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "is not in Iran," according to an Israeli security source cited by Saudi outlet al-Hadath said on Sunday. This is followed by reports of a major internal power struggle in Tehran.Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader shortly after his father was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has had no public appearances and has communicated exclusively through written statements since taking office. He was even absent at his father's funeral. Sources quoted by Reuters claim he is still recovering from severely disfiguring injuries.The Israeli source told al-Hadath that Khamenei's official messages are authored by the newly appointed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi alongside other high-ranking IRGC members."Iran's internal divisions are deep and threaten the existence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," the source was quoted as saying.'Soft coup' accusationsAmid ongoing military escalations between the US and Iran, reports indicate a major internal power struggle has erupted in Tehran, separating ultra-hardline factions from the country's more moderate public administration. According to a CNN report, radical elements have charged the governing leadership with executing a "soft coup" following the conclusion of a 14-point diplomatic agreement with the US.This political volatility erupted into public hostility during the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was forced to flee the procession alongside his team after being targeted with rocks by an angry mob.Crowds of mourners took over the site, shouting "death to the compromiser" and branding officials "traitorous sellouts" to express their rejection of the diplomatic pact.Hardliners accuse leadership Hardline factions believe the government effectively surrendered by signing an accord that violates the explicit mandates of the supreme leader, rather than launching strikes to avenge the late leader's killing. "Warning to the people of Iran: Is a coup on the way?" hardline lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian questioned on X days prior to the funeral.Following the ceremonies, he posted: "In these moments of farewell to the martyred Imam, we raise the banner of vengeance for his blood and stand firm against the coup."Ghalibaf, Pezeshkian, Araghchi in chargeWith Mojtaba Khamenei's prolonged absence, chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, president Masoud Pezeshkian and Araghchi have become the most prominent figures steering post-war Iran, leaving hardliners increasingly isolated and resentful."Mojtaba's continued absence means that they don't have access to him and also that Ghalibaf and allies are effectively in charge of the country — the ultra-hardliners have thus accused Ghalibaf and Pezeshkian of plotting a 'coup' against Mojtaba," Arash Azizi, a US-based Iran researcher, told CNN.Concurrently, hardliners accuse the visible leadership of systematically undermining traditional state bodies to sustain their control.The Israeli source also said the US does not want Israel to participate in strikes on Iran, even if Tehran attacks Israel.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.