The CIA and Mossad have launched a human intelligence operation to locate Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has made no public appearance, phone call, or digital communication since assuming power five months ago.
What Happened
According to a report by The Times citing current and former intelligence officials, the CIA and Mossad have shifted away from electronic surveillance toward human intelligence in an effort to locate Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The operation aims to determine whether he is alive, establish his location, and assess his condition.
Intelligence agencies are attempting to identify couriers believed to carry handwritten messages between Khamenei and senior Iranian officials, while also trying to recruit individuals with access to his inner circle. Former Mossad division chief Rami Igra told The Times that any communications were likely passing through multiple intermediaries rather than electronic channels.
Why Is Mojtaba Hiding
The answer begins on February 28, when US and Israeli strikes killed his father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with much of Iran’s senior military and political leadership, including commanders, scientists, and security officials. Mojtaba, who was reportedly present during the attack, is said to have suffered serious facial injuries.
The threat has not receded. In March, intelligence agencies monitored closely for any sign that Mojtaba would deliver a Nowruz address, the traditional Persian New Year speech that every supreme leader has historically given publicly. He did not appear.
Reports also emerged that Mojtaba had wanted to attend his father’s funeral but was prevented from doing so by the IRGC, which assessed the public appearance as too dangerous. For a man whose enemies have already killed his father and dismantled Iran’s senior command structure in a single day, invisibility is the only meaningful security.
Body Doubles, Bunkers and Handwritten Notes
The concealment operation around Mojtaba Khamenei is described as layered and elaborate. The Times reported that intelligence officials believe he may be hiding in underground tunnels beneath Tehran or in military bunkers near Qom. Former Mossad lieutenant colonel Avner Avraham said Iranian authorities are likely rotating body doubles and secure locations to confuse tracking efforts, adding that even the personnel preparing his meals may not know whether they are cooking for the real Mojtaba or a stand-in.
He has reportedly made no phone calls and not turned on a laptop since February 28. In response to questions about why he cannot at least release an audio recording, Iranian officials reportedly noted that even an audio file carries metadata, including the type of recorder used and the location of the recording, that could be exploited by intelligence agencies to pinpoint his whereabouts.
Why the CIA and Mossad Are Really Looking for Mojtaba?
The Times frames the operation as an effort to confirm whether Mojtaba is alive and locate him. What the report does not state directly, but what the operational logic makes unmistakably clear, is what would likely follow the moment his location is confirmed.
Assassination has been Israel’s most consistent strategic tool for decades. It killed Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah. It eliminated Hamas’s political and military leadership. It killed Iranian nuclear scientists, IRGC commanders, and ultimately Ali Khamenei himself. The pattern is not ambiguous. Targeting leadership is how Israel applies maximum pressure on adversaries while avoiding full conventional war.
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