Overview
- CBS News reports that intelligence shared with President Trump said Ali Khamenei viewed his son as “not very bright” and unqualified, with additional references to personal issues.
- Mojtaba Khamenei was selected by Iran’s clerical council last weekend, yet he has not appeared publicly and his inaugural message was delivered by a newsreader.
- The U.S. announced up to $10 million for information on Mojtaba Khamenei’s location alongside nine other senior Iranian figures.
- Trump publicly questioned the new leader’s legitimacy and called him a “lightweight,” as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Mojtaba was wounded and likely disfigured, a claim Iran’s foreign minister contradicted by asserting full health.
- Senior U.S. officials assess that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is driving decisions as questions persist over the new leader’s status and control.