Multiple reports say Iran’s “unseen” or largely absent supreme leader figure—identified in the coverage as Mojtaba Khamenei—appears to be invoked by rival factions as a political tool amid an escalating internal power struggle. The common theme across sources is that different groups cite his authority to bolster their positions and discredit opponents. At the same time, experts cited in the reports point to the supreme leader’s prolonged public absence as raising questions about who is effectively directing Iran’s top political and security decision-making. The coverage does not present evidence of a formal change in leadership or official announcements confirming a shift in power. Instead, it describes an atmosphere in which names and alleged influence are used to frame competing narratives about governance and legitimacy. Overall, the accounts portray a political contest where the lack of public visibility of the top authority complicates efforts to determine the practical chain of command and how competing factions claim to interpret or represent his role.