Who is making decisions in Iran?

Who is making decisions in Iran?14 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAmir AzimiBBC Persian editorEPAMojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father as supreme leaderThe question hanging over Tehran since the opening strikes of Iran's current war with the US and Israel is simple: Who is in charge?Formally, the answer is clear. Mojtaba Khamenei has assumed the role of supreme leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war on 28 February. In the Islamic Republic's system, that position is meant to be decisive. The leader has the final word on almost anything important: war, peace, and the state's strategic direction.But in practice, the picture is far murkier.Donald Trump has described Iran's leadership as "fractured" and suggested the US is waiting for Tehran to produce a "unified proposal".Unity was certainly on the minds of Iran's leaders when they distributed a message to Iranians on their mobile phones on Thursday night saying there was "no such thing as a hardliner or moderate in Iran - there was just one nation, one course". Invisible leaderMojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking power. Beyond a handful of written statements, including one insisting the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, there is little direct evidence of his day-to-day control.Iranian officials have acknowledged that he was injured in the initial strikes but have offered few details. The New York Times, citing Iranian sources, reported this week that he may have suffered several injuries, including to his face that have made it difficult for him to speak.That absence matters. In Iran's political system, authority is not just institutional - it is also performative. Khamenei's late father signalled intent through speeches, calibrated appearances, and visible arbitration between factions. That signalling function is now largely missing.The re...