Iran’s Unseen Supreme Leader as U.S. Intensifies Secondary Sanctions

Overview

• Mojtaba Khamenei remains out of public view six months after the Feb. 28 strikes that killed his father, issuing written directives that ban acts said to harm social cohesion and urge officials to avoid discouraging statements.
• The U.S. launched a stepped-up Treasury campaign this week that warns other countries they could face penalties for doing business with Iran and signaled measures targeting banks such as Banque Misr.
• Iranian leaders acknowledge sharp economic pain, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying exports and imports have fallen about 25–35 percent and inflation and currency collapse are eroding living standards.
• Power in Tehran has consolidated around the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a tight leadership circle that now manages security, diplomacy and economic policy while trying to preserve state services.
• Gulf mediators have pursued limited deals that briefly allowed oil sales and talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but no durable arrangement has been reached and the dispute keeps global energy flows and regional tensions at risk.