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Iran’s supreme leader runs ‘state within a state’ through secret 4,000-person network, report says
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FIRST ON FOX: A new report detailing the inner workings of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office says the Islamic Republic’s real command structure lies not in Iran’s visible government, but in a shadow apparatus designed to preserve regime control even if the supreme leader himself disappears from public view.
The report, Unmasking the Bayt: Inside the Supreme Leader’s Office, published by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and authored by Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi, describes the Bayt, the Office of the Supreme Leader, as a vast institutional network embedded across Iran’s military, economy, religious institutions and state bureaucracy.
«It is the hidden nerve center of the regime in Iran… it operates as a state within a state,» Aarabi said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei meets with Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force commanders and Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force officers at the Imam Khomeini Husayniyya in Tehran, Iran on Feb. 05, 2024. ((Photo by Iranian Leader Press Office / Handout /Anadolu via Getty Images))
According to Aarabi, the system allows Khamenei to oversee and influence decision-making at every level of the Islamic Republic, including nuclear policy, war planning and internal security.
«This is what gives Khamenei absolute control. It’s not the visible state, this is the invisible state,» he said.
The report estimates roughly 4,000 people operate inside the Bayt’s core structure, with tens of thousands more working through affiliated institutions across the country.
«There’s around 4,000 close employees… think of them as commissars… the real policymakers,» Aarabi said. «Beyond that, the Bayt’s umbrella has 40,000 individuals working for it… entrenched at every single layer of policy, every single state entity.»
The report maps a tightly controlled inner circle at the top of the Bayt, including Khamenei’s sons, particularly Mojtaba Khamenei, who is described as operating like a «mini-supreme leader» within his father’s office.
It details how the structure reaches directly into Iran’s military chain of command, with senior promotions requiring approval from the Supreme Leader’s office and parallel counterintelligence bodies monitoring loyalty across the armed forces. The Bayt, the report says, also plays a decisive role in nuclear negotiations and wartime decision-making, ensuring ultimate authority remains concentrated around the supreme leader.
The network, Aarabi said, effectively duplicates state ministries inside Khamenei’s office, allowing direct oversight and ideological enforcement across government agencies, universities and cultural institutions.
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Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The report also outlines how the Bayt sustains regime durability through control of the economy, religious institutions and the education system. Networks of foundations and conglomerates tied to the supreme leader oversee major sectors of Iran’s economy, while clerical institutions, universities and cultural bodies are monitored by embedded representatives tasked with enforcing ideological compliance and suppressing dissent.
«Think of the Bayt as the nucleus of the core power of the regime,» Aarabi said.
The findings come amid renewed speculation about Khamenei’s health and reduced public visibility, as well as growing regional tensions and the possibility of military confrontation involving Iran.
Aarabi pushed back on suggestions that Khamenei’s absence from public appearances signals weakening authority or internal fragmentation.
«We saw this during the 12-day war… even if he is hiding in a bunker, he is in full control. The Bayt has been tightening Khamenei’s grip on power,» he said.
The structure, he argued, was deliberately built to function even without the supreme leader physically present.
«Even if he is eliminated, the Bayt as an institution enables the supreme leader to function,» Aarabi said. «Think of the supreme leader as an institution rather than just a single individual.»
The report places the Bayt at the top of Iran’s power hierarchy, above the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the formal government.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pictured sitting next to senior military official in Iran. (Getty Images)
«The Bayt is the core apparatus… the strategic policymaking body that is driving the ballistic missile program, the nuclear program, [and] regional destabilization,» Aarabi said.
The implications, he added, are significant for policymakers in Washington and across the region, particularly as the U.S. weighs options for confronting Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities.
«Eliminating Khamenei in isolation on its own is not enough… you have to dismantle this extensive apparatus that he has created,» Aarabi said.
Instead, any effort to weaken the regime would require targeting the broader institutional structure surrounding the supreme leader, not just the individual at its center.
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Iranian worshippers are praying under a banner featuring a giant portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a ceremony commemorating assassinated Hamas Leader, Ismail Haniyeh, at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, on August 9, 2024. Ismail Haniyeh was killed in his residency in northern Tehran the day after the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
«It involves a comprehensive strategy… cyber operations, sanctions, [and] a military component,» he said. «For any meaningful change in Iran… you have to go after the core nucleus of power within the Islamic regime, and that is the Bayt.»
He said on reports of Khamenei being a target that, «the elimination of Khamenei alone is not enough… dismantling the extensive apparatus of the Bayt is essential,» he added.
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INTERNACIONAL
Fue una de las mentes maestras de Los Simpson, ganó millones y donó su fortuna para salvar animales
La serie animada Los Simpson, creada en 1989, fue un fenómeno global que cambió la industria del entretenimiento y se convirtió en una de las producciones televisivas más influyentes de la historia. Detrás de este éxito estuvo Sam Simon, quien transformó esta conquista mediática en una fortuna personal que superó los cien millones de dólares.
Su nombre trascendió el ámbito televisivo cuando, tras recibir un diagnóstico terminal, tomó una decisión radical: destinar la mayor parte de su riqueza a la protección de los animales, una causa que marcó el tramo final de su vida y definió su legado.
Con el impacto de Los Simpson, Sam Simon alcanzó una posición económica que le permitió ir mucho más allá de sus necesidades personales. De acuerdo con SensaCine, plataforma informativa sobre cine y series, Simon fue capaz de pagar a sus exesposas con generosidad y, además, ser solidario con los animales.
En el año 2000, Simon se unió a PETA, organización internacional de defensa animal, donde comenzó a involucrarse de manera activa en la protección de especies vulnerables. Dos años después, fundó la Sam Simon Foundation, a la que destinó millones de dólares anualmente.
La fundación, con sede en California, brindaba asistencia médica y cirugías complejas a perros y gatos abandonados, ofrecía refugio gratuito para animales rescatados y entrenaba perros de asistencia para personas con necesidades especiales.
Simon explicó en ocasiones que su objetivo era proporcionar ayuda médica a perros y gatos abandonados, así como costear operaciones quirúrgicas, según consignó SensaCine. Estas acciones, mantenidas en el tiempo, consolidaron su figura como un benefactor genuino dentro de la comunidad defensora de animales.
En 2012, la vida de Sam Simon cambió drásticamente al recibir un diagnóstico de cáncer de colon avanzado. Al entender que tenía los días contados, decidió legar la mayor parte de su fortuna a la Sam Simon Foundation. SensaCine detalla que Simon peleó duramente por mantener su fundación, dándole prácticamente todo cuando descubrió que iba a morir.
Antes de fallecer, Simon destinó más de USD 100 millones a la Sam Simon Foundation, garantizando la continuidad de programas de rescate, atención veterinaria y entrenamiento de perros de asistencia tras su muerte. Esta decisión sentó un precedente en términos de filantropía en Hollywood y aseguró un futuro para incontables animales vulnerables.
El legado de Simon también contempló instrucciones claras sobre el futuro de sus propios animales. En particular, dejó estipulado el cuidado de su perro con necesidades médicas especiales, encomendando su bienestar a Tyson Kilmer, un reconocido entrenador de perros en la industria del entretenimiento.
Simon prometió que Kilmer recibiría USD 140.000 anuales para cubrir los gastos médicos del animal, un acuerdo que debió ser defendido judicialmente ante los administradores de la herencia y que reflejó el empeño de Simon por que sus recursos alcanzaran a los más necesitados incluso después de su partida.
Las iniciativas financiadas por la Sam Simon Foundation se expandieron más allá de la atención directa a perros y gatos. Con el paso de los años, la organización diversificó su alcance y apoyó campañas de concientización, servicios veterinarios móviles y programas de adopción responsable. SensaCine da cuenta de que la fundación proporcionó un refugio para muchos perros atendidos sin coste, incluyendo el rescate de animales que estaban destinados a ser sacrificados. Gracias al compromiso financiero de Simon, la fundación mantuvo una acción constante en defensa de miles de animales en situaciones críticas.
El caso de Sam Simon es un ejemplo entre figuras públicas que deciden canalizar su posición y recursos hacia la transformación de otras realidades. Mientras varios de sus colegas en la industria eligieron inversiones personales o filantropía diversa, Simon encaminó una causa concreta y la mantuvo hasta el último momento de su vida.
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An official with the Department of Homeland Security told state election officials Wednesday that federal immigration agents will not be stationed at polling locations during the November midterm elections, as some Democrats have warned the Trump administration could attempt to interfere in the elections through intimidation or racial profiling.
Heather Honey, DHS’ deputy assistant secretary for election integrity, told secretaries of state on a call that «any suggestion that ICE will be present at any polling location is simply not true,» according to Arizona’s Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
A spokeswoman for Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, also a Democrat, said Honey likewise assured officials that immigration agents would not be stationed at polling locations. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, also posted on X that DHS «confirms to Secretaries of State that ICE agents will not be at voting locations this year.»
Honey, who has previously endorsed claims that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election against former President Joe Biden, participated in the call, which also included representatives of the FBI, US Election Assistance Commission, Postal Service and other federal agencies to discuss coordination ahead of the midterms.
An official with the Department of Homeland Security told state election officials that federal immigration agents will not be at the polls during the midterm elections. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment.
This comes as several Democrats have expressed concern that immigration agents may be placed at polling locations to intimidate Americans who fear they could be racially profiled and targeted if they show up to vote.
«I’m talking about something that I think would be extraordinary in American history, which is uniformed and masked ICE agents encircling polling places,» Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said at a recent congressional hearing. «And it’s not fantasy, and it’s not made up. We need to be clear-eyed about that. These are things that the president and his cabinet have suggested.»
The Department of Justice has been filing lawsuits seeking detailed voter data, though the department has not publicly detailed its specific rationale for each request.
Trump has also renewed his claims that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, claims that have been widely disputed and rejected by courts, and has called on administration officials to investigate that election.
Democrats have expressed concern that immigration agents may be placed at polling locations to intimidate American voters. (Paul Richards/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the FBI executed a search warrant at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing ballots and other voting records from 2020, according to local officials. A Democratic stronghold, Fulton County includes Atlanta. The Peach State went to Biden in 2020, but Trump carried the state in 2024.
Democratic officials and public interest lawyers across the country have been concerned for months about the possibility of Trump’s interference in the midterms voting and ballot counting.
Democrats have pointed out that Trump was willing to attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss, pardoned those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and has filled his administration with allies who backed his attempts to overturn the election defeat.
The U.S. Constitution affirms that states run elections, not federal officials. Most states have their Secretary of State oversee elections.
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Democratic officials and public interest lawyers across the country have been concerned for months about the possibility of President Donald Trump’s interference in the midterms. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Participants on the call said Democrat secretaries of state asked Honey several questions about the administration’s cuts to election security funding and its efforts to root out noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and rare, as well as concerns about federal law enforcement officers appearing at polling places.
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The White House has dismissed those concerns, saying there was no disruption during last year’s election when Democrats performed well.
During a congressional hearing earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott both said they were not involved in any efforts to patrol voting places.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Kim Jong Un calls South Korea ‘most hostile enemy,’ says North could ‘completely destroy’ it
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday that his country could «completely destroy» South Korea if it feels threatened, escalating rhetoric while ruling out renewed talks.
Speaking at North Korea’s week-long Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, Kim labeled South Korea the «most hostile enemy» and said «the conciliatory attitude that South Korea’s current government advocates on the surface is clumsily deceptive and crude,» according to state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim said North Korea «can initiate arbitrary action» if South Korea engages in «obnoxious behavior» directed at his country, dismissing recent efforts by Seoul to improve relations.
«South Korea’s complete collapse cannot be ruled out,» Kim said, according to KCNA.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spoke during the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang on Feb. 23, 2026. ( Korean Central News Agency via REUTERS)
During the congress, Kim outlined sweeping five-year policy goals centered on expanding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The country is believed to possess around 50 warheads and enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more, according to an estimate last year from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The North Korean leader said the country’s «international status has risen extraordinarily.»
«It is our party’s firm will to further expand and strengthen our national nuclear power, and thoroughly exercise its status as a nuclear state,» Kim said, according to KCNA. «We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means.»
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was re-elected as general secretary during the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, North Korea, Feb. 22, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency via REUTERS )
Kim laid out plans for North Korea to develop more advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches, along with artificial intelligence-driven weapons systems and unmanned drones, KCNA reported.
Kim, who met with President Donald Trump three times during Trump’s first term, signaled he may be open to future negotiations with Washington but placed responsibility squarely on the United States.
«Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make,» he said.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae attended an event to celebrate the New Year, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)
Kim said that if the U.S «withdraws its policy of confrontation» with North Korea and acknowledges the country’s «current status,» there would be «no reason why we cannot get along well with the U.S.»
Following the congress, Kim’s teenage daughter attended a military parade in Pyongyang on Wednesday, according to KCNA. Ju Ae, believed to be 13 or 14, was photographed standing beside her father and senior military leaders.
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Her appearance comes after South Korean media reported that Kim recently gave her a leadership role in the regime’s powerful «Missile Administration,» which oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey, along with Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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