When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, met his 72 virgins during the initial strikes of Operation Epic Fury last month, the mullahs needed a new leader to project strength and continuity. They chose Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, effectively painting a (bigger) target on his back.

The 56-year-old was chosen last weekend but has not yet been seen publicly. (Other than that fake cardboard cutout that hilariously circulated on social media.) Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly injured in the same attack that killed his father. Is this a “Weekend at Bernie’s” scenario where they’re propping up a dead guy as a pretense?

Whatever the case, CBS News reports on some intelligence regarding the younger Khamenei’s, er, lack of intelligence:

U.S. intelligence has circulated to President [Donald] Trump and to a small circle around him that Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had misgivings about his son replacing him, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

The analysis showed the elder Khamenei was wary of his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, ever taking power because he was perceived as not very bright, and was viewed as unqualified to be leader, according to sources.

The information gathered also indicated that the father was aware that his son had issues in his personal life, according to sources within the administration, the intelligence community and people close to the president.

According to President Trump, “Their leadership is gone. Their second leadership is gone. Now their third leadership is in trouble, and this is not somebody that the father even wanted.” He later added, “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him.” Furthermore, “I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender.”

Not to worry, insists Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Revolutionary Guard’s front man. “There is no problem with the new supreme leader,” he says. “He sent his message yesterday, and he will perform his duties.”

Right.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth isn’t buying it. He responded that he thinks Khamenei is “wounded and likely disfigured.” Hegseth noted, “He put out a statement yesterday — a weak one, actually. But there was no voice, and there was no video. It was a written statement. … Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why.”

The federal government has also offered $10 million for information on Khamenei’s location. Tucker Carlson, call your office.

Does it matter that Mojtaba Khamenei is alive or dimwitted or has “personal issues,” which is CBS’s euphemism for rumored impotence and homosexual proclivities? President Trump reportedly laughed out loud at that speculation, probably because sodomy is a capital offense in Iran.

That Iran does not have a unifying figure at the head of its government does matter. Especially when the U.S. and Israel are systematically destroying Iran’s war-making capacity. Its missile- and drone-launching capabilities have been drastically reduced, and the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to remain a problem. Its nuclear program was also largely reduced to rubble last year.

“We’re shooting down and destroying what missiles they still have in stock, but more importantly, ensuring that they have no ability to make more,” Hegseth noted. Operations are on pace “to defeat, destroy, disable all of [Iran’s] meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before.” As it stands, “Iran doesn’t have a functioning air force,” and its “entire navy is at the bottom of the Persian Gulf.”

So, given the stunning success thus far, America is unified in this war effort, right? The same Democrats whose theme for Joe Biden’s four years was “unity” are lining up behind the Trump administration, aren’t they?

Not on your life.

“It’s crystal clear now that Trump has lost control of this war,” harrumphed Senator Chris Murphy on Saturday. “He badly misjudged Iran’s ability to retaliate.”

Note that Murphy’s X thread came after Trump, Hegseth, independent assessments, and even Leftmedia outlets rooting against the U.S. had reported how thoroughly degraded Iran’s military assets are. Murphy may have a point that a wounded animal is still very dangerous, but Democrats are never going to project “unity” if it means complimenting Donald Trump.

Maybe the wounded dunce being propped up in Iran provokes Democrats’ reflexive desire to protect Joe Biden at all costs.

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