TEHRAN: In a striking revelation, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly commanding the country through a clandestine “human chain” and handwritten letters, a method designed to evade surveillance by foreign intelligence agencies, according to a report by The New York Times.
The report claims that messages intended for Khamenei are written by hand, sealed, and passed between trusted couriers travelling discreetly across highways and rural routes. These messengers, using motorcycles and cars, reportedly deliver communications to an undisclosed location where the leader is believed to be in hiding. Responses are said to follow the same secure route, forming a low-tech but difficult-to-track communication system.
Security arrangements around the Supreme Leader are said to have reached unprecedented levels. Senior officials, including commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are reportedly avoiding in-person meetings to prevent any possibility of his location being traced.
The report suggests that even high-level movements could expose him to targeted attacks, prompting an extreme level of isolation.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking over after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israel strike on February 28. Since then, there have been growing questions over the new leader’s condition and whereabouts.
According to the report, Khamenei has avoided all direct public communication. His directives are allegedly issued through written statements posted online or read out on state television, with no video or audio recordings released so far.
Citing an Iranian official, the report states that Khamenei was “gravely” injured in the strike that killed his father. While he is said to be mentally alert, his physical condition appears severe.
He has reportedly undergone multiple surgeries on one leg and may require a prosthetic. Injuries to his hand are said to be healing gradually, while damage to his face and lips has made speaking difficult. The report also claims he may need “plastic surgery.”
The report suggested that Mojtaba is acting “consciously as he does not want to appear vulnerable or sound weak in his first public address.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is a trained heart surgeon, along with the country’s health minister, is said to be directly involved in his treatment. Khamenei is believed to be under constant medical supervision at a secret location.
Agencies
Mojtaba Khamenei using secret human chain, handwritten messages to evade digital trail
