Mojtaba Khamenei

Force in Play

Trump claimed on June 11 that Khamenei personally approved the settlement; Iran's foreign ministry did not confirm and called reports of a finalized deal 'merely speculation'

Trump physically signed the Islamabad Declaration MOU at the Palace of Versailles on June 17, during a candlelit dinner with French President Macron and Secretary Rubio, while Iranian President Pezeshkian signed remotely from Tehran. The 14-point agreement lifts the US naval blockade, commits Iran to reopening the Strait of Hormuz toll-free within 30 days, and opens a 60-day nuclear negotiating window.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Reportedly approved the broad MOU framework per US officials briefing reporters May 24; Iran's foreign ministry has not publicly confirmed

Trump, Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf signed the Islamabad Memorandum digitally on June 14. The formal in-person ceremony is June 19 in Geneva. Trump declared the Strait 'open,' but vessel tracking shows no change — shipowners are waiting for June 19 and demining before risking transits.

Updated 3 days ago

Built World

Backs Hormuz control as leverage; threatens new fronts

US forces struck Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz on May 25-26, calling the action self-defense. By May 28, negotiators had agreed on a tentative 60-day truce framework covering Hormuz reopening, mine clearance, sanctions waivers, and nuclear talks. Trump had not yet signed off, and Iran suspended all talks through Pakistan mediators on June 1.

Updated Jun 1

Force in Play

Installed as Supreme Leader on March 9 under reported IRGC pressure; has kept a low public profile

Iranian strikes on the UAE resumed on May 4, breaking the April 8 ceasefire, then expanded into the Strait of Hormuz three days later. Iran attacked three US Navy destroyers on May 7; the US struck back the same day, hitting IRGC missile and drone facilities at Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas.

Updated May 31

Force in Play

Hard-liner installed by the Assembly of Experts; unconfirmed reports of injury in early April

Japan imports 90% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, shut by Iran six weeks ago. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is attempting what her predecessor Shinzo Abe failed to do in 2019: talk Tehran down from the brink — but with far higher stakes and Trump's Tuesday deadline.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

In power since March 9, 2026; rumored injured or killed in early April strikes

The United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering what Washington calls Operation Epic Fury. Iran has since fired more than 525 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory. Nearly half carried cluster warheads that scatter dozens of smaller bomblets across wide areas, a weapon type banned by over 100 nations.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Leading Iran's war response as newly appointed supreme leader

Iran's nuclear infrastructure has become the primary target of an intensifying US-Israeli air campaign that began February 28 and has now entered its sixth week. The Natanz uranium enrichment complex has been struck four times. On April 4, 2026, US and Israeli forces expanded the campaign to strike the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Mahshahr petrochemical hub in southwestern Iran. The strikes killed at least one security guard and wounded five workers. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that strikes on civilian nuclear power plants cross 'the reddest line' of nuclear safety, raising the risk of a radiological catastrophe. Meanwhile, Iran has demonstrated growing military capability: on April 4, Iranian air defenses downed two US warplanes, marking the first confirmed loss of American aircraft in the conflict.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Named Supreme Leader after father's assassination; issued first public address March 12

In thirteen days of US-Israeli military strikes on Iran, up to 3.2 million people have fled their homes without leaving the country. The United Nations refugee agency reported on March 12 that between 600,000 and one million Iranian households abandoned Tehran and other major cities for northern provinces and rural areas. This is one of the fastest mass internal displacements in modern conflict.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Newly installed after father's assassination

Iran qualified as a non-host nation for the 2026 World Cup, then withdrew a year later—the first qualified nation in the modern era to do so for political reasons. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced the withdrawal three months after U.S.-Israeli military strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the country's military infrastructure.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Named successor to his father

For more than four decades, US embassies in the Middle East and Africa have faced bombings, sieges, and missile strikes. None has been attacked in Western Europe — until an incendiary device detonated at the entrance of the US Embassy in Oslo at 1:00 a.m. on March 8, shattering windows and sending smoke into the street.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Selected by Assembly of Experts under IRGC pressure; legitimacy disputed

Iran's Supreme Leader controlled both the presidency and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for over four decades. Eight days after a joint United States-Israeli airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that unified chain of command fractured.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Absent from public view for over 60 days due to serious injuries; US officials told CNN on May 8 they cannot reliably reach him; his inaccessibility is a core obstacle to any binding peace agreement. Iranian officials claim he is 'in perfect health' but have released no authentic photos or audio.

The Iran-US war reached its 73rd day with talks at a deadlock. Trump called Iran's May 10 response 'garbage' and declared the ceasefire on 'massive life support'.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Supreme Leader of Iran (designate); consolidating power amid military collapse and humanitarian crisis; praised Hezbollah for supporting Iran's war effort

Operation Epic Fury, launched jointly by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, reached day 39 with the heaviest strikes yet on Iran. The campaign has confirmed over 9,000 targets hit, more than 130 naval vessels destroyed, and at least 55 senior regime leaders killed.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

Elected March 8, 2026 after father's assassination; reportedly injured in same airstrike; has not appeared publicly—first statement was read on state TV

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion—coordinated airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and senior leadership. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes; his son Mojtaba was elected as the new Supreme Leader on March 8 but hasn't appeared publicly, reportedly recovering from injuries sustained in the same strike. Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for 20 percent of world oil trade. Pakistan brokered a ceasefire on April 8, but Iran re-closed the Strait on April 18 after the United States refused to lift its naval blockade imposed following failed peace talks.

Updated May 29

Force in Play

Named third supreme leader on March 9, 2026; considered more hardline than his father; close IRGC ties

The December 2025 uprising was suppressed at massive cost. HRANA's February 23 report, 'The Crimson Winter,' verified 7,007 deaths—6,488 adult protesters, 236 minors, 207 security forces, and 76 bystanders—with another 11,744 cases still under review. President Pezeshkian publicly apologized for the massacres on February 11.

Updated May 26