{"id":1743,"date":"2026-07-06T06:48:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T06:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/07\/06\/why-irans-unseen-leader-remains-in-the-shadows\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T06:48:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T06:48:41","slug":"why-irans-unseen-leader-remains-in-the-shadows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=1743","title":{"rendered":"Why Iran&#8217;s unseen leader remains in the shadows"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"t-content t-content--edition\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Why Iran&#8217;s unseen leader remains in the shadows<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-video-player o-video-player--16x9 t-content__main-media \" data-media-video-53d60104-e7d7-480e-93e8-e33b84c21ad3 data-show-hidden-video-player=\"53D60104-E7D7-480E-93E8-E33B84C21AD3\" data-wrapper-video-player data-autoplay-video-link data-youtube-script>\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices                <\/p>\n<p><\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock\" data-adblock-content>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-adblock__content__text\">One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.<\/p>\n<p>            <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"reload\">Try again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/326b82ae-788e-11f1-9265-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/ANGL260705-1815-Live-CS1815.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/326b82ae-788e-11f1-9265-005056a97e36\/w:388\/p:16x9\/ANGL260705-1815-Live-CS1815.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/326b82ae-788e-11f1-9265-005056a97e36\/w:720\/p:16x9\/ANGL260705-1815-Live-CS1815.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/326b82ae-788e-11f1-9265-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/ANGL260705-1815-Live-CS1815.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Why Iran's unseen leader remains in the shadows\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n    Cover image:                    \u00a9 France 24    <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"Why Iran's unseen leader remains in the shadows: Play the video\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"m-main-media-btn__picto\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><br \/>\n<time class=\"a-media-time\">16:58<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-hidden-video-player=\"53D60104-E7D7-480E-93E8-E33B84C21AD3\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-07-05T17:30:05+00:00\">05\/07\/2026 &#8211; 19:30<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-07-05T17:34:49+00:00\">05\/07\/2026 &#8211; 19:34<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__video-duration\">\n<p>                            16:58 min\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__page-cta\">\n<div class=\"a-audio-player-btn a-audio-player-btn--skeleton a-audio-player-btn--cta\" data-root-audio-player-button data-short-lived-vue-app data-site-nav-close>\n<p>                    <span class=\"a-audio-player-btn__label\">Play (16:58 min) <\/span><\/p>\n<p>                                                        <span class=\"a-svg a-svg--icon-audio\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p>                <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/tv-shows\/spotlight\/\" class=\"t-content__program m-program\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-program__label\">From the show<\/div>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/17a2ca4c-fd17-11f0-bcab-005056a97e36\/EN-spotlight-black.svg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/17a2ca4c-fd17-11f0-bcab-005056a97e36\/EN-spotlight-black.svg\" alt=\"Spotlight\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img  a-img--svg\"><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__reading-time a-reading-time\">\n<p>                        <span class=\"t-content__reading-time__label\">Reading time<\/span><br \/>\n                        1 min<\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        The images emerging from Tehran are striking. Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in black have gathered at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla for the funeral and lying in state of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following his assassination on the opening day of a war between Iran and the United States on February 28.                <\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>State television has broadcast scenes of mass mourning throughout the week: worshippers filing past the late Supreme Leader&#8217;s coffin, emotional prayers, and crowds chanting calls for revenge. In a rare move, a limited number of Western media outlets have been permitted to film the ceremonies, offering the outside world a glimpse of a carefully choreographed display of national mourning.<\/p>\n<p>The week-long commemorations have prompted intense debate among analysts. For some, the unprecedented public turnout reflects genuine grief and uncertainty over Iran&#8217;s future. For others, the ceremonies represent a calculated projection of strength by a regime determined to demonstrate continuity and resilience despite an extraordinary crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Questions also remain over the country&#8217;s political succession. Mojtaba Khamenei, widely viewed by some observers as a potential successor to his father, has yet to appear publicly. However, three of his brothers attended the funeral ceremonies, alongside relatives mourning members of the Khamenei family reportedly killed in the February 28 attack, including the Ayatollah&#8217;s wife, eldest daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and three-year-old granddaughter.<\/p>\n<p>To examine what these scenes reveal about the state of the Islamic Republic, and what they could mean for Iran&#8217;s political future, we&#8217;re joined by Negar Mortazavi, an Iranian-American journalist, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy, and host of the Iran Podcast.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors t-content__authors--multiple\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a9f25b10-df9b-11ee-a33f-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:1x1\/Avatar-gavin-lee.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a9f25b10-df9b-11ee-a33f-005056bfb2b6\/w:177\/p:1x1\/Avatar-gavin-lee.jpg 177w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a9f25b10-df9b-11ee-a33f-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:1x1\/Avatar-gavin-lee.jpg 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100px, 170px\" width=\"388\" height=\"388\" alt=\"Gavin Lee\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/gavin-lee\/\" title=\"Gavin LEE\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Gavin LEE<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n                                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/daniel-whittington-2\/\" title=\"Daniel Whittington\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Daniel Whittington<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                Video by:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n                                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/daniel-whittington-2\/\" title=\"Daniel Whittington\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Daniel Whittington<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a9f25b10-df9b-11ee-a33f-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:1x1\/Avatar-gavin-lee.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a9f25b10-df9b-11ee-a33f-005056bfb2b6\/w:177\/p:1x1\/Avatar-gavin-lee.jpg 177w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/a9f25b10-df9b-11ee-a33f-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:1x1\/Avatar-gavin-lee.jpg 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100px, 170px\" width=\"388\" height=\"388\" alt=\"Gavin Lee\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/gavin-lee\/\" title=\"Gavin LEE\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Gavin LEE<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    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