Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly incapacitated and receiving medical treatment in the city of Qom, according to an intelligence memo cited by The Times on Tuesday, April 7.
The memo, described as based on US and Israeli intelligence and shared with Gulf allies, states that Khamenei is in “severe” condition and unable to take part in decision-making.
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“Mojtaba Khamenei is being treated in Qom in a severe condition, unable to be involved in any decision-making by the regime,” the memo reads.
The report could not be independently verified.
Uncertainty over leadership
Iranian officials have not confirmed the claims and have previously said that Khamenei remains in charge of the country.
However, the leader has not appeared in public since the start of the war, and no verified video or audio messages have been released.
According to The Times, an AI-generated video attributed to Khamenei was broadcast on state television, though no confirmed recording of his voice has been made public.
Opposition groups have claimed he is in critical condition, though accounts vary and remain unverified.
Power structure, IRGC role
The reported incapacity has raised questions about who is effectively governing Iran, where the supreme leader holds ultimate political and religious authority.
Analysts cited by The Times said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could be exercising de facto control in the absence of active leadership.
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Burial plans, security concerns
The memo also suggests preparations are underway in Qom for burial arrangements linked to former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, though details remain unclear.
Iranian authorities have previously said the elder Khamenei would be buried in Mashhad, but the timing and location of the funeral have not been confirmed.
The delay has raised questions given Shia burial traditions, which typically call for burial soon after death.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen publicly since his father was killed in an airstrike on the war’s first day.
On Monday, The Associated Press reported that Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, the head of intelligence of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in airstrikes on Tehran. The strikes were part of a broader wave of attacks carried out by Israel and the United States across Iran, which killed more than 25 people
