This was, as noted here, a written message. Mojtaba has neither been seen nor heard since he became supreme leader. He could be dead, with his name being used to prop up the legitimacy of the tottering regime. Or he could be severely injured. Either way, he symbolizes the Islamic Republic in its current state. An “economic and cultural jihad” may be all that it can wage, as opposed to a military one.
“Khamenei urges focus on domestic production, calls for economic jihad,” Middle East Eye, May 2, 2026:
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, urged citizens to focus on economic resilience, calling for what he described as an “economic and cultural jihad” in a Labour Day message.
He said Iran had demonstrated its strength militarily and must now “disappoint and defeat” its adversaries on the economic front….
Taffy says
He should heed the words of Archie Bunker:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4UnV9BC8Xy0
James Lincoln says
Thanks for the clip, Taffy.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I believe that he’s really dead, although the conventional opinion is that he’s in a coma
Ugly 312 says
infidel, I think you are right. He is dead. We should se this thing through otherwise we lose. The world is clearly not safer yet. When you fight wars with ego and no hard landmarks this mess is what you get. Hope you are just fine.
Richard
Taffy says
He is dead-dead! I believe the news out of Iran that he was taking a stroll outside the Ayatollah’s compound. In an extreme overkill attack, Israel hit the Ayatollah’s compound with 30 Blue Sparrow missiles. A single missile through the roof of the compound would’ve been enough to take out the Ayatollah and his henchmen. Although the gross weight of the Blue Sparrow missile is 4,200 lb. (according to publicly released data–which may or may not be true), the explosive charge in the warhead remains classified. I would put it at about 500 equivalent lbs. of TNT. If Ayatollah-Lite were within 200 yards of the compound, the shockwave from the blast would’ve shredded him. Looking at the satellite pics of the aftermath that were released. there is no part of the compound’s grounds that are outside the blast radius of the Blue Sparrow missile, and everything on that property was leveled.
Ugly 312 says
Taffy, thank you for that explanation. Detailed and heart warming at the same time.
Richard
James Lincoln says
Taffy,
I think you are right.
Thanks for the explanation.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
According to Armin Navabi, it makes great sense for the IRGC to declare a dead man as their leader: it makes it impossible for anyone, including Mossad or the US to take him out. As long as they can maintain the illusion among Iranians that he’s not dead, his shadow still looks over the country unless and until the regime is completely overthrown
OLD GUY says
The complete overthrow of the regime is my question? Who and what will be able to overthrow a regime who has absolutely no regard for how many of their own citizens they murder. And on top of that, can you actually believe the new leadership will be any better than what we face now and in the past in Iran.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Thanks for all the responses, Richard, Taffy and James
Ugly 312 says
Thank you for all of your enlightening perspe times and input. I have certainly learned a lot from your posts. And e tra points for using Deobandi in a post too. The heart of Al Queda’s philosophy.
Richard
࿗Infidel࿘ says
On a different note, Twitter/X should freeze the account @khamenei_ir, since he is dead, his son’s whereabouts are unknown and so it’s not known who’s managing that account, and on what authority. I know @X issues blue ☑ in return for money, but in this case, they should perk up and just freeze that account for posterity, since it now only has historical interest
Westman says
This smacks of desperation by the Mullahs to preserve their power while in a struggle to maintain control over the people, IRGC, and the Basij.
Obviously, Mojtaba did not write the screed or it would have been backed by speech and video. The publicly used cardboard image is so ridiculous that any sensible Iranian would realize that the Mullahs were seeking legitimacy to run the government.
A tendency observed in Iranian students, studying in the US, was to rapidly spread rumors. When a rumor about a leader like the Shah or Ayatollah was injected, real or false, it spread quickly.
“Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, urged citizens to focus on economic resilience, calling for what he described as an ‘economic and cultural jihad’ in a Labour Day message.”
This is a stellar idea if it meant that Iranians should bolster their own economy in opposition to fundamental Islamic activity of slavery to Allah. A rich populace wouldn’t allow the government theft of their wealth for military and terrorist dalliancies, as in the past.
But, alas, it won’t happen with the Mullahs in control, who self-profit from the people’s misery and continue to throw away the nation’s wealth in efforts to destroy Israel. Considering Iran’s present state, that goal results in, “kicking against the pricks”.
somehistory says
What kinds of jobs employ the iranian people? How can their *work* make the U.S. lose?
“Dead men tell no tales.” And that goes double for dead muzzie terrorists.