A letter passes through the hands of a dozen people before reaching its destination; Why is Mustafa, the son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khan, missing from his father’s funeral? Is he even alive? If so, what is his condition, and is his life still in danger? These questions are pertinent because a massive crowd attended the funeral—people were weeping and beating their chests, and leaders from over a hundred countries were present. We will seek answers regarding Mustafa’s absence.
On February 28, 2026, Ayatollah Khan was at home with his family; his son Mustafa was also within the compound. Suddenly, several missiles struck in quick succession. The entire family, including the Supreme Leader, perished in the US-Israel attack. While the media claimed Mustafa had died, Iran stated that he had sustained only minor injuries. On March 9, Mustafa was named Iran’s new Supreme Leader; however, no photograph or video of him has surfaced since. US President Trump remarked that no one has seen him, which is unusual. Meanwhile, Israeli officials maintain that Mustafa is alive. If he is alive, what is his condition? In April, the British newspaper The Times published a report claiming Mustafa was unconscious and possibly in a coma. Conversely, The New York Times reported that while Mustafa was severely injured, his brain remained active and he was making decisions. He suffered a serious leg injury requiring three surgeries and has been fitted with a prosthetic; his face and lips were burned and require plastic surgery. However, the Iranian Health Ministry stated that although the Supreme Leader required several blood transfusions, his injuries were not critical. He is undergoing treatment in Moscow, Russia; Putin himself suggested the facility. He has undergone surgery and is recovering, possibly staying at a residence belonging to Putin. On the other hand, US media claims Mustafa is at a secret location within Iran. To prevent the location from leaking, even senior leaders and IRGC officials do not visit him. So, how does information reach Mustafa? The New York Times and Israeli newspapers… According to reports, a meticulous process is followed for this: messages or orders are never transmitted via phone or computer but are written on paper, sealed in an envelope, and delivered through a chain of a dozen trusted messengers. Instead of using main highways, they travel by motorbike through village and town routes to deliver messages to Mostafa; responses are received in the same manner.
The Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post, citing an Iranian official, reported that obtaining approval can sometimes take weeks. So, who is actually running Iran? Although Mostafa is the Supreme Leader, on the ground, the country is managed by a group of loyal advisors—including top IGC commanders, the Iranian President, and Speaker Ghalib. They make the decisions, and Mostafa simply grants them religious and constitutional legitimacy. Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East Programme at the British think tank Chatham House, notes that Iran operates under a system where multiple figures hold command and vie for influence. Iran expert Arash Azizi explains that while crucial decisions may pass through Mostafa, he does not typically overturn the National Security Council’s rulings. Now that the conflict has subsided, is Mostafa still a target for Israel? Israeli Defense Minister Gallant had stated that the new Supreme Leader, Mostafa, is a target. Professor Mohammad Faisal Hashmi of Uppsala University in Sweden notes that Israel’s intelligence network is far superior to Iran’s; the moment Mostafa steps into the open, both the US and Israel would likely target him. Mostafa had also wished to attend his father’s funeral in India, but security concerns prevented it.
What is about to happen in the world that the children of billionaires are learning Chinese? From Trump’s Granddaughter to Musk’s Son
The children of global billionaires and world leaders—including Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and the British Royal Family—are learning Mandarin, the language of China. But why? What is the strategy behind this? Let’s find out in today’s explainer. Hello, I am Aditya. When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the US in 2017, US President Trump’s six-year-old granddaughter, Arabella, sang a song in Chinese. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, can also speak and understand Chinese herself. Similarly, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk revealed via a tweet that his six-year-old son was learning Mandarin; Musk had even taken him along on a visit to China. Meanwhile, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos mentioned in an interview that all four of his children were learning Chinese. This trend is also evident in the British Royal Family; Prince George—King Charles’s grandson and second in line to the throne—is being taught Chinese at school. Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Meta, is having his three daughters learn Chinese alongside English; his wife, Priscilla Chan, is of Chinese descent, and their eldest daughter has even been given a Chinese name. But why are the children of the world’s most powerful people learning Chinese? It is not merely a hobby but a well-thought-out strategy. Kerry Brown, a Professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London, explains that the reason is pragmatic self-interest. China is the world’s second-largest economy, giving the wealthy and powerful clear incentives to learn the language. China is poised to surge ahead in technology and the economy. There are two other major benefits to learning Chinese from childhood: first, knowing the language allows these children to build an elite network within top international schools from an early age—connections that prove useful for future business deals. In China, business is not just about money but also about personal relationships and respect—a concept known as Guanxi. By learning Chinese, these children internalize the nuances of Chinese culture from childhood. Patricia O’Malley, founder of the ‘Carousel of Languages’ in Manhattan, believes this is a significant investment in the children’s future—beyond just China’s emerging market… Beyond the nature of its sounds, children are drawn to learning Chinese because it is the world’s most spoken native language. When learning a language like English, only the left hemisphere of the brain is active, whereas learning Chinese engages both hemispheres. Chinese relies on thousands of symbols rather than an alphabet; recognizing and memorizing these symbols strengthens a child’s visual memory. Mandarin is a tonal language, meaning the meaning of a single symbol changes based on the tone used—for instance, the syllable “ma” can mean mother, rough, horse, or even an insult depending on the tone. Consequently, learning Chinese significantly boosts mental focus and acuity. Research by Canadian psychologists Ellen Bialystok and Michelle Martin-Rhee indicates that bilingual children possess superior abilities in focusing and resisting distractions compared to monolingual children. However, there is another dimension to this: for centuries, the children of royalty and the elite have tended to learn the language of global power. For example, between the 17th and 19th centuries, it was customary for children to learn French; later, when the British Empire was at its peak following World War I, the era of learning English began. Today, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. Similarly, in the 1980s, as Japan’s economy surged, there was a growing trend of learning Japanese. So, will Chinese replace English as the global language? Renowned linguist and author David Crystal believes that English cannot be easily displaced; even in China, people are learning English. While Chinese may become a major language in the future, it is unlikely to become the global language.