Mossad and CIA Intensify Search for Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran Adopts New Tactics

Darwin, 03 August : Following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the question of whether his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive—and if so, where he is hiding—has become one of the top intelligence priorities for Israel’s Mossad and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to a report by The Sunday Times.

The report states that Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since the alleged attack that killed Ali Khamenei in late February. Various sources claim that Mojtaba was also injured in the attack, although accounts of his condition differ. Some suggest he sustained only minor injuries and continues to lead behind the scenes, while others claim he was seriously wounded and has effectively become a figurehead under the control of others.

According to The Sunday Times, Mojtaba Khamenei has not used a mobile phone or computer for more than 150 days. He is reportedly staying in an underground bunker and avoids appearing in daylight because his face was allegedly disfigured in the attack and he fears detection by U.S. surveillance satellites.

The report further claims that, before the strike on Ali Khamenei, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and Israel’s Unit 8200 monitored the movements of his security convoy using cyber intelligence, including Tehran’s traffic cameras and other surveillance methods. That intelligence allegedly enabled the attack carried out on February 28.

However, similar technological methods have reportedly been ineffective in locating Mojtaba Khamenei. As a result, Mossad and the CIA are now said to be relying primarily on human intelligence, including spies and informants operating inside Iran.

According to the report, some intelligence officials believe Mojtaba Khamenei may have been killed during the February 28 attack or died later from his injuries. They argue that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is deliberately spreading misleading information about his survival.

Others believe he is hiding either within Tehran’s underground tunnel network or in a military bunker near the city of Qom, approximately 50 kilometers from the capital.

The Sunday Times also reports that Israel has an extensive intelligence network inside Iran, giving Mossad a relative advantage in efforts to locate Mojtaba Khamenei.

Former Mossad official Rami Igra said that although Mojtaba does not use electronic devices, he may still communicate through handwritten messages delivered by trusted couriers. According to Igra, any breakthrough in locating him is likely to come through human intelligence, although Iranian authorities are well aware of this risk.

He also noted that the CIA located al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by tracking the movements of his courier.

Another former Mossad official, Avner Avraham, claimed that Iran is using look-alikes or decoys resembling Mojtaba Khamenei to conceal his true whereabouts.

Mojtaba has also been absent from Ali Khamenei’s funeral and other official ceremonies. While written statements attributed to him have occasionally been released, no audio or video messages have been made public.

A former U.S. intelligence official told the newspaper that Washington’s human intelligence capabilities inside Iran have remained limited for the past four decades, whereas Israel possesses a much stronger intelligence network in the country. As a result, Israeli intelligence is expected to play the leading role in any effort to locate Mojtaba Khamenei.

Another former U.S. intelligence official reportedly said that even if Mojtaba were found, launching another strike against him would be politically highly sensitive. Many senior Iranian leaders have already been killed, and unless there is confidence that his replacement would lead Iran toward a more democratic future, approving another such operation would not be an easy decision.

Source: The Sunday Times