The third supreme leader in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran has not yet made any public appearances, almost since his appointment.
To date, no video of his messages, who have taken to the streets of Iran to declare their faith, has been released, nor has a written statement from him or his office been released.
State media have relied on archival footage to present him to the public, while state propaganda networks have made extensive use of AI-generated videos and photos to project the image of an all-wise leader rightfully inheriting the highest office.
The main graffiti in Tehran’s Vali Asr Square, for years a canvas for the official state narrative, now shows a young Khamenei receiving the Iranian flag from his murdered father, while Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Revolution, looks on appreciatively. The message is purposeful: an uninterrupted transfer of leadership.
What is conspicuously avoided is any confrontation with the central contradiction at the core of the system, a succession from father to son in a regime born of revolution against hereditary monarchy.
The scripts
One clue to the new leader’s absence may come from state media reports that he too was injured in the so-called “Ramadan War”. Perhaps the reported injuries keep him from appearing on video, though that doesn’t explain the lack of a written statement.
Another factor could be the disappointment that US President Donald Trump expressed over his appointment after his father’s assassination. Asked Monday if the new supreme leader has a “target on his back,” Trump said he didn’t want to say that. However, even with the leader still missing, the wider body politic appears to be functioning as normal, with no signs of a change in war stance.
