'Mouse Ali' Khamenei rules from his bunker

While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's absence has been largely mocked by his opposition and interpreted by Western media as a sign of fear, it has demonstrated how deeply embedded his network of control in Iran truly is, a new report by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) noted on Thursday.

- • By DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

A MAN holds up a poster of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a picture of slain IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani during a memorial ceremony last week. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

(Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Reports have suggested that the 86-year-old Islamist has been hiding out in a secure bunker, leading Iranian critics to label him "Moushe-Ali" (Mouse Ali). Nevertheless, years of embedding his loyal clerics into every part of civil society have allowed him to maintain his control, the organization noted.

After the 12 Day War in June saw many Iranian officials and nuclear masterminds killed in targeted strikes, concerns about an attempt on Khamenei began to shape his public profile.

His initial absence of nearly 30 days has seemingly led the Islamic regime's leader to begin taking a step back from public appearances, especially since the US's operation to arrest Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro last month.

Though acknowledging some level of restructuring within the regime, especially with the appointment of Ali Larijani as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, along with the creation of a new Defense Council, UANI claimed that there is insufficient evidence to suggest a fundamental change in Tehran's power structure.