CBS: US Intelligence Assessed Khamenei Didn't Want Mojtaba as Successor; Trump Says Iran Is Effectively Leaderless

CBS News reported Sunday, citing several sources close to the US government, that according to a US intelligence assessment, Ali Khamenei had little desire for his second son Mojtaba to succeed him. According to classified US government intelligence, Khamenei did not want Mojtaba to succeed him because he did not consider him shrewd or possessing leadership qualities. Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the US-Israel attack on Iranian soil at his residence, along with a significant number of senior Iranian officials. Since that day, Iranian state media has reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was also present at the site of the explosion but was not seriously injured. The Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei as his father's successor in the second week of the war, even though no new audio from him has been released, nor any new photos or videos — a situation that has fueled speculation about him and even called into question whether he is still alive. According to CBS, Donald Trump and his small inner circle — including his Vice President J.D. Vance — were briefed on the intelligence assessment related to Mojtaba's succession. Nevertheless, Trump told his close associates that he does not think this intelligence about Mojtaba Khamenei matters much, because Iran is now effectively "leaderless" — given that "the young Khamenei may not even be alive." Source: CBS News, via Vahid Online