An Israeli airstrike killed Ali Khamenei on February 28, starting the war with Iran. Mojtaba stepped up as supreme leader shortly after.
His face reportedly disfigured from the strike that killed his father. He hasn't come outside since.
Last time, cyber did the work. NSA and Israel's Unit 8200 hacked Tehran's traffic cameras, tracked the convoy, found their target.
This time the target learned the lesson. He leaves no signal, nothing to hack.
So CIA and Mossad are back to the oldest trick in the book: people. Couriers. Bribes. Doubles.
Iran's president claims he sat with Mojtaba for 2.5 hours. A former Mossad division chief says he never saw him.
The supreme leader who skipped his own father's funeral. "Proof of life" that's just statements issued in his name.
It's basically the bin Laden playbook, run in reverse: hide the face, hide the voice, stay a rumor.
If they find him, is killing him even the plan, or is the real fight over who replaces the guy?
Source: The TIMES / Writer: Oliver
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