The Iranian newspaper Al-Mashhari, affiliated with the Tehran municipality, has offered a detailed technical explanation for the complete absence of any audio recording of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. In a video and article published on Sunday, the outlet argued that even a simple sound file could expose his precise location to Western and Israeli intelligence services. The newspaper listed five ways a recording could be exploited: the unique acoustic signature of an enclosed space; interference from the electrical grid that can date and geolocate the recording; the hardware imprint of the microphone; background noise from ventilation or generators; and biometric analysis of the speaker’s voice, which could reveal stress levels and physical condition.

The explanation comes amid deepening mystery over Khamenei’s whereabouts and condition. He has not been seen in public since late February, and his absence from his father’s funeral and all official ceremonies has fuelled speculation. According to the Saudi channel Al-Hadath, an Israeli security source claimed that Khamenei is not even on Iranian soil and that messages issued in his name are drafted by former interior minister Ahmad Vahidi and senior Revolutionary Guard commanders. Separately, his father-in-law, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, stated that Khamenei is healthy but currently has no contact with any person or institution, attributing the situation to “certain considerations and residues.” Reports in The Times, cited by Arabic outlets, say he is believed to be hiding in a deep underground shelter, suffering from burns and facial disfigurement from the strike that killed his father, and has not used a phone or computer for about five months.

The hunt for Khamenei, described by The Times as a joint effort by Mossad and the CIA, has shifted away from technical surveillance. Former Mossad division head Rami Igra told the newspaper that the challenge resembles locating hostages in Gaza, where the absence of electronic communication makes human sources the critical factor. If alive, Khamenei is thought to rely on a secret network of couriers delivering handwritten notes, complicating efforts to penetrate his inner circle. Intelligence assessments are divided: some analysts believe he may already be dead and that the Revolutionary Guards are maintaining the fiction of his survival to preserve legitimacy, while others point to elaborate deception tactics, including the use of body doubles and safe houses.

The Iranian regime’s insistence on security precautions has not quelled internal demands for proof of life. Any future audio message, observers note, could carry technical traces that help locate him, but the risks are deemed too high. Should US and Israeli intelligence succeed in pinpointing his position, the decision on how to act would fall to political leaders in Washington and Tel Aviv, a former senior US defence official told The Times. For now, the dossier remains open, with the new supreme leader’s status a matter of conflicting claims and deep uncertainty.