The Hunt for the Invisible Ayatollah: Who's Really Running Iran? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 20, 2026 · 29 MIN

The Hunt for the Invisible Ayatollah: Who's Really Running Iran?

from Deep Dive

It has been almost six months since a US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran killed Ali Khamenei, then Iran's Supreme Leader. Among the injured in that opening salvo of the Iran war was his son and heir, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who reportedly suffered disfiguring facial injuries and a significant wound to one or both legs.Since the strike, no one has seen hide nor hair of Mojtaba. No rallying speech to his people. No glossy propaganda video on state media. No appearance at his own father's funeral.On this episode of Deep Dive, the Daily Mail's Special Correspondent David Patrikarakos joins host Chris Pleasance to weigh the prevailing theories about Mojtaba's whereabouts - and to ask how the Islamic Republic is fighting a war with an invisible ayatollah.Host: Chris PleasanceProducer: John RogersExecutive Producer: Joseph Luke PalmerFollow the work of the Daily Mail's award-winning Deep Dive team by clicking here: https://www.dailymail.com/news/deep-dive/index.htmlA Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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