INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s unseen supreme leader becomes weapon in escalating power struggle, experts say
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Iran’s rival political factions are increasingly invoking the authority of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to attack their opponents and protect their own positions, even as questions persist over whether he is actively governing the country, according to an Iran expert.
The internal struggle surfaced in two reports published by Iran International concerning Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s relationship with the new supreme leader.
In the first report, senior cleric Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, a relative of the Khamenei family by marriage, claimed Pezeshkian had repeatedly threatened to resign and was warned that his next resignation would be accepted.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks with Fox News Channel’s Martha MacCallum during an interview on Sept. 25, 2025, in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
«If he resigns one more time, I will approve it,» Kharrazi quoted Khamenei as saying.
Pezeshkian’s office strongly denied the account. Mehdi Tabatabaei, the president’s deputy for communications and information, called the allegation «baseless and an outright lie,» while another presidential advisor said Kharrazi had no contact with the supreme leader and was known for telling «strange stories.»
Hours later, Iran International published a second report alleging Pezeshkian had met Mojtaba Khamenei only once, inside a vehicle with tinted windows at an undisclosed location in Tehran.
According to the outlet’s unnamed sources, the encounter lasted several minutes, the two men could not see each other and Pezeshkian was not permitted to shake Khamenei’s hand. The report alleged that the president later questioned whether the voice he heard had actually belonged to the supreme leader.
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Masoud Pezeshkian, then a presidential candidate, waves as he arrives to vote at a polling station in Shahr-e-Qods near Tehran, Iran, on July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The claims have not been independently verified. Pezeshkian previously described a substantially different encounter, saying publicly that he had spent approximately two and a half hours with Khamenei in a cordial atmosphere.
Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, said the competing claims surrounding Pezeshkian and Mojtaba Khamenei reflected a deeper struggle inside what he described as an «Islamist oligarchic mafia system.»
Under Ali Khamenei, Aarabi said, the supreme leader functioned as the system’s «godfather,» arbitrating among rival Islamist factions and guaranteeing their access to power and money. His removal created a vacuum that Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment was intended to fill, but the new supreme leader’s prolonged public absence has left rival factions uncertain about who is actually in charge.
«The very essence of this mafia system is built on a godfather,» Aarabi said. «If the godfather is absent, whether because he is severely incapacitated or nonexistent, that vacuum… re-emerges between the various Islamist oligarchic clans.»
Aarabi said those factions are not primarily divided by ideology.
«They’re not competing over ideology,» he said. «They’re competing over raw power and economic interests.»
In that environment, Aarabi said, Mojtaba Khamenei’s name has become a political instrument that competing factions can invoke to legitimize themselves, constrain their rivals or justify decisions whose true source remains unclear.
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People hold placards with an image of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a rally in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) Via Reuters)
«Mojtaba’s name is the glue that’s holding the system together right now,» Aarabi said. «Each of these clans invokes his name to justify its existence, legitimize its position, and consolidate its place within this fragile system.»
Exiled Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi described the resignation claims as part of a recurring political strategy used by reformist administrations.
«This is a familiar cycle,» Ghadimi said. «Whenever they feel that their usefulness to the supreme leader has come to an end, they start circulating these resignation rumors in an effort to build public sympathy and improve their image before being pushed aside.»
Ghadimi said similar rumors surrounded former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani during the final years of their administrations. He argued that reformist-aligned media channels often continue circulating resignation claims even after a president’s office formally denies them, allowing officials later to portray themselves as having challenged the supreme leader.
On Mojtaba Khamenei’s status, Ghadimi went further than Aarabi, saying he did not believe there was «a functioning person by that name who is capable of thinking, making decisions or speaking.»
«Either he is dead, or he is being kept alive in an extremely unstable and severely deteriorated condition,» Ghadimi said.
Aarabi said the two reports illustrate that dynamic. A cleric opposed to or unaligned with Pezeshkian invoked Mojtaba Khamenei’s authority to weaken the president by claiming his next resignation would be accepted, while figures around Pezeshkian pushed back with an account portraying the president as having met directly with the supreme leader.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in any publicly released video or audio recording since succeeding his father, according to Iran International. Iranian officials have offered conflicting accounts about how often senior government figures have met him.
Aarabi cautioned that using Khamenei’s name as a source of authority will become increasingly difficult if his public absence continues.
A composite image shows several Iranian leaders named in the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offering up to $10 million for information on key figures tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Mojtaba Khamenei, top left. (State Department/Rewards for Justice; Khoshiran/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
«There’s only so many times you can use someone’s name without any proof of life that they actually exist,» Aarabi said. «The longer Mojtaba is absent, the more questions develop over whether he is alive or able. And as soon as that doubt increases, you will see this infighting increase.»
war with iran, iran, mojtaba khamenei, ali khamenei, world
INTERNACIONAL
El Salvador registra dos millones de visitantes en sus destinos turísticos durante las vacaciones
Durante el periodo vacacional, El Salvador ha registrado una afluencia de dos millones de visitantes nacionales e internacionales en sus principales destinos turísticos, según datos oficiales actualizados hasta el 4 de agosto por el Ministerio de Turismo.
La cifra, que corresponde tanto a turistas locales como extranjeros, marca un intenso movimiento en sitios emblemáticos del país y confirma una tendencia al alza en la movilidad interna de la temporada.
La ministra de Turismo, Morena Valdez, atribuyó este resultado a la coordinación interinstitucional y al despliegue de personal en los principales destinos. La funcionaria recalcó que la meta de la cartera es alcanzar los 2.8 mil visitantes al cierre de la temporada, cifra que, a su juicio, podría cumplirse si se mantiene la tendencia de las últimas jornadas.
De forma inmediata las autoridades no han brindado detalles sobre las nacionalidades de los turistas que se encuentran visitando el territorio salvadoreño.
Entre los destinos de mayor preferencia destacan SívarLand, el Centro Histórico de San Salvador, playas públicas como Playa Punta Roca, áreas naturales protegidas y una amplia oferta de sitios culturales.
La funcionaria señaló que además que actividades como la tradicional atolada y las experiencias familiares en parques y volcanes forman parte de la agenda atractiva para las familias.
El panorama en la zona costera también ha mostrado una afluencia notoria. Yaneth Bran, gobernadora del departamento de La Libertad, aseguró que el destino mantiene un flujo constante de turistas y que las instituciones han fortalecido los mecanismos de prevención y seguridad. “La Libertad es un territorio privilegiado por su extraordinaria riqueza natural, cultural, histórica y gastronómica.
La diversidad de sus paisajes y la calidez de su gente convierten en este departamento en un lugar que ofrece experiencia para todos los gustos”, afirmó Bran durante su intervención. Destacó la presencia de visitantes en lugares emblemáticos como Surf City, el Puerto de La Libertad, el Malecón, San Diego, El Majagual, El Tunco, El Sunzal, Mizata y San Blas, así como en diversos parques recreativos y comercios del litoral.
La ministra Valdez resaltó que la totalidad de los parques del Instituto Salvadoreño de Turismo y los sitios culturales operan con normalidad y acceso abierto al público.
La funcionaria recomendó explorar sitios menos tradicionales como El Taquíl y Los Almendros en la zona occidental, además de los espacios naturales del Parque Natural Cerro Verde y las rutas de escalada en volcanes, siempre bajo la guía de personal autorizado del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente o de la Corporación Salvadoreña de Turismo.
En el litoral, la gobernadora Bran subrayó la disposición de equipos de emergencia, guardavidas y personal sanitario.
“Debido a la importante movilización de las personas que se registran durante esta temporada, todas las instituciones que conforman el Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil han fortalecido sus capacidades de prevención, de monitoreo con el propósito de garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de las personas”, manifestó Bran.
“No hay pretexto, podemos disfrutar de estas vacaciones con sano esparcimiento, cuidándonos y previniendo. Y recordando que la prevención es responsabilidad de todos”, insistió la titular del ramo de turismo e instó a la población y al sector privado a seguir las indicaciones de las autoridades.
playas sonsonate,arena dorada el salvador,roca volcánica el salvador
INTERNACIONAL
Russia deploys North Korean missile unit to Ukraine; Moscow-Pyongyang axis deepens: report
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Russia has begun deploying a North Korean missile unit equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use in its war against Ukraine, a Ukrainian intelligence official told told Reuters Wednesday.
The reported escalation marks a deepening military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang, with around 90 North Korean personnel expected to be stationed in Russia’s western Voronezh region to support the new unit, according to Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR).
Cherniak also claimed Pyongyang has already delivered a fresh batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles to Russian forces, Reuters said.
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Russia has reportedly begun deploying a North Korean missile unit equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use in its war against Ukraine. (Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Final details of the deployment are expected to be finalized during high-level talks next month.
The intelligence report follows a massive Russian barrage against Kyiv and the surrounding region Aug. 4.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow launched 24 ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles and 115 drones overnight, killing at least 17 people.
Zelenskyy argued more lives could have been saved had Western allies replenished Ukraine’s depleted stockpiles of air defense interceptors.
Zelenskyy previously warned that Moscow had been preparing since June to receive additional North Korean military personnel in the Voronezh region, according to reports.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has deepened his defensive ties with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. (Getty Images)
Cherniak told Reuters a Russian strike in late July marked the first recorded use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukrainian targets since August 2025.
According to HUR estimates, Russia has received approximately 150 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles from North Korea since late 2023.
Military analysts say Russia is increasingly relying on ballistic weapons because they require advanced defense systems — such as the U.S.-made Patriot — to intercept.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Russia is deliberately incorporating more ballistic missiles into its long-range strike packages to maximize pressure on Ukraine’s limited air defenses.
ISW added that North Korea is gaining critical battlefield data from the conflict, allowing Pyongyang to refine its missile performance using Russian operational experience.
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North Korea has emerged as one of Moscow’s key military allies. (KCNA via Reuters)
North Korea has emerged as one of Moscow’s key military allies since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Reuters reported that Pyongyang has supplied millions of artillery shells and previously sent 14,000 troops to Russia’s Kursk region to counter Ukraine’s 2024 cross-border incursion.
Cherniak also noted that roughly 9,500 North Korean troops are still in Kursk, though they are not engaged in active combat right now.
A report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) states that, since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has supplied Moscow with large quantities of artillery and rocket ammunition, cannon and rocket artillery systems and ballistic missiles.
The policy institute described the Russia-North Korea relationship as one of the «most consequential among the Axis» and the only partnership in which one member has deployed troops in combat to assist another.
russia, north korea, ukraine, conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
Dems in the hot seat for skipping crucial hearing on radical group hiding in US: ‘Embarrassment’
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Democratic lawmakers were missing during Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing as they skipped a hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged network inside the United States, drawing a blistering rebuke from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
«You may notice that there are empty chairs on the Democrat side of the dais,» Cruz said as he opened the hearing by pointing out that every Democratic member of the subcommittee refused to attend. «The American people should ask themselves why not a single member of the minority decided that a hearing on terrorism was worth their time? It is an embarrassment.»
Cruz tied the Democrats’ boycott to Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory, arguing that the timing helped explain why no Democratic members attended. Cruz accused the party of embracing a candidate who had campaigned alongside left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.
Cruz cited Piker’s past statement that «America deserved 9/11» and asked the witnesses what El-Sayed’s rise said about the direction of the Democratic Party.
HASAN PIKER UNLOADS ON ‘ISLAMOPHOBIC PIECES OF S—‘ DEMOCRATS AS EL-SAYED FACES PARTY UNITY TEST
«Abdul El-Sayed, the son-in-law of a leading member of several Brotherhood groups, won Michigan’s Democrat primary for U.S. Senate. Perfect timing for this hearing, probably explains why no Democrats are here and none intend to attend,» Cruz said. «Because their campaign is now openly embracing terrorist organizations waging war on America.»
(From left to right) Democratic Party Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Peter Welch of Vermont, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Alex Padilla of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Muslim Brotherhood supporters near the Jordanian border with the West Bank from 2021 can be seen in the background. (Getty Images)
The five Democratic members of the subcommittee — Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Alex Padilla of California and Peter Welch of Vermont — announced beforehand that they would not attend. In a joint statement, the senators accused Cruz of staging a «political creepshow» that scapegoated Muslim Americans.
«Scapegoating Muslims may be a Texas Republican strategist’s idea of ‘solid gold’ to whip up their voters, but Democrats have no intention of indulging this political creepshow, particularly after the recent violence targeting places of faith,» they said. «Our focus is the costs families face thanks to rampant, non-stop Trump corruption.»
Blumenthal separately told reporters Wednesday that Democrats refused to attend because the hearing «could well be used as an anti-Muslim, Islamophobia kind of show trial.»
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The Connecticut Democrat added that he planned to meet with members of the Muslim community who shared concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood, «which appears to be a terrorist organization,» while advocating for «tolerance and inclusion.»
US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2023. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The offices of Whitehouse and Welch referred Fox News Digital to the joint statement when asked why the senators chose to boycott rather than attend and challenge the witnesses directly. The offices of Hirono and Padilla had not responded by publication time.
Cruz and the hearing’s witnesses rejected the Democrats’ characterization of the proceeding as an attack on Muslims generally.
Lara Burns, a retired FBI special agent who helped lead a terrorism-financing investigation against what was once the largest Muslim charity in the United States, the Holy Land Foundation, warned that Americans should not disregard evidence because it is politically controversial.
A surfaced OIG report shows FBI agents were urged to avoid communications with CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (Getty Images)
«For decades, narratives have been intentionally seeded into public discourse that portray terrorist organizations as resistance movements,» Burns testified before arguing Americans cannot «ignore evidence introduced in federal court simply because that evidence is politically uncomfortable.»
«The history of this network is not in question,» she added. «It was made public decades ago, but few paid attention. Now is the time to pay attention and understand the facts.»
hearings, democrats senate, ted cruz, national security, politics
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