Iran Crisis Update, October 2
Oct 2, 2022 - ISW Press![](https://understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/Iran%20Crisis%20Update%20logo_0.jpeg?itok=sna6jabM)
The continued public absence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may be hindering regime officials’ efforts to develop a coherent response to the ongoing, anti-regime protests. Khamenei has not addressed the protests nor made a public appearance since September 21, possibly due to his reportedly worsening health. An unidentified Iranian official told Reuters that intra-regime disagreements over supreme leader succession and protest management are dividing the regime elite. This division suggests that Khamenei is not playing his usual role of cohering the regime during a crisis.