Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Iran's supreme leader one week after the start of major U.S. and Israeli combat operations and has since released no photographs, videos, or audio messages. All public communications have been limited to written statements read by state broadcasters, and he was absent from his father's funeral rites. Oil prices have risen nearly 20 percent since the conflict began six months ago, with ongoing attacks reported in the Strait of Hormuz.