For the entire six-month war with Israel and the United States, Mojtaba Khamenei has been hidden from public view, baffling his supporters and fuelling rumours, AI jokes and speculation about who's really in control.

Reportedly disfigured in air strikes, Mojtaba Khamenei is said to delegate daily authority while holding final say.

Six months after the airstrikes that triggered the war and thrust a badly wounded Mojtaba Khamenei into the role of Iran’s supreme leader, he remains...