Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei failed to appear at his own succession rally in Tehran on Monday, fueling speculation he is either wounded or hiding in fear following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the opening days of the US-Israeli conflict.
Thousands gathered to celebrate his appointment, but the new leader was represented only by a portrait – half the size of his father's image, which occupied center stage in state media footage.
"It's either he's out cold in a hospital, or he's scared and hiding in the deepest bunker they have after seeing his dad be turned into red mist," said Khosro Isfahani, research director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran think tank.
Isfahani dismissed Khamenei as lacking public support and charisma, quipping: "He has the charisma of a boiled potato." He said the appointment came only due to pressure from the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with other top factions happy to let him "beat his chest and take the reins" as a short-term figurehead amid US threats.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran against picking a leader without his approval, specifically naming Khamenei an "unacceptable" candidate. "They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight," Trump told Axios, adding the new leader "is not going to last long" without direct US approval.
