Expert analyses and reviews
U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Mossad, are assessing the status of Mojtaba Khamenei, with reports indicating he is alive but likely injured and incapacitated, according to Axios.
On Saturday morning, the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz was reportedly targeted in an attack, according to media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran has reported the incident to the agency.
US President Donald Trump has stated he is considering a gradual reduction and eventual end to military operations against Iran. In a post on his social media platform "Truth Social" in the early hours of January 1405 (in the Iranian calendar), Trump listed his objectives, including the complete destruction of Iran's missile capabilities, dismantling of defense industries, elimination of its naval and air forces, preventing Iran from developing nuclear capabilities, and supporting regional allies like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that more than 7,000 positions in Iran have been targeted in attacks, describing the Islamic Republic as a "paper tiger." Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 12 reported that Abbas Araghchi has requested a ceasefire from Steve Witkoff.
Mehdi Mahdavi-Azadi discusses Mojtaba Khamenei's vulnerability in Kharg and the Strait of Hormuz on a YouTube program titled "Mojtaba Khamenei's Glass Lifespan in Kharg and the Strait of Hormuz" available at https://youtu.be/i-TBiO-ETQI.
Hossein Shariatmadari, the managing editor of Kayhan newspaper, wrote that Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei is the chosen representative of the Imam of Time, emphasizing that obedience to Khamenei is equivalent to obedience to the Imam of Time, and that the Assembly of Experts merely discovers the Imam's selection.
Mostafa Khoshchem, an Iranian international affairs expert, has stated that Iran can severely damage the UAE, equating it to the size of two small Iranian cities, and has called for the Strait of Hormuz to be closed for three months until adversaries comply with Iranian demands.
The article "The Final Breaths of the Iranian Regime and Mojtaba Khamenei's Betrayals" features a perspective by Mehdi Mahdavi-Azadi and is available for viewing on YouTube at https://youtu.be/GjLPf-4BEYI.
American media are reassessing the actions of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for supporting Iran, highlighting payments of $400 million in cash and $1.3 billion in total transfers under Obama, and $6 billion in released frozen assets under Biden, leading to Iran's continued nuclear development.
Iran International has obtained a confidential document revealing that the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pressured representatives of the Assembly of Experts to select Mojtaba Khamenei as the third leader of the Islamic Republic by fabricating and falsifying narratives attributed to Ali Khamenei. The report was authored by Mojtaba PourMohsen.
CNN News Network reports that a senior Iranian official is considering issuing permits for oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, contingent on transactions being conducted in Chinese yuan.
During the ongoing conflict in Iran, AI-generated videos depicting missile strikes and explosions are circulating on social media, complicating the verification of factual information. Experts warn that these fabricated contents, viewed millions of times, contribute to the online misinformation war and advise users to scrutinize sources and signs of manipulation before sharing.
