Mojtaba Khamenei thanks Iraq for support during war

Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, expressed gratitude to Iraqi paramilitary groups that have been targeting American military bases in the Middle East since the war started a month ago, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the IRGC. The message did not provide any proof that Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the war began last month, is still alive. It also did not explain how the Islamic regime leader sent his message. This kind of message is uncommon for Khamenei, who has only shared a few statements since he became Iran's supreme leader last month following his father, Ali Khamenei's assassination. His first message came in a letter that he supposedly wrote himself, while later messages were shared by unknown methods. In one of his recent statements on March 20, Khamenei asked the media in Iran to avoid highlighting the country’s weaknesses. This message was directed at the Iranian people for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, where Khamenei declared the new year as one for "Resistance Economy under National Unity and National Security." U.S. intelligence, shared by President Donald Trump, suggests that Khamenei may have been seriously injured in the early days of the war. Sources informed The Jerusalem Post on March 21 that Khamenei is alive, but the IRGC is reportedly in control of Iran.