Among those attempting to understand the unfolding crisis was Leila Farzan, a veteran journalist whose newspaper had survived decades of political upheaval by carefully navigating censorship without abandoning its commitment to reporting facts whenever possible.
Now she found herself confronting the greatest mystery of her career.
Every request for confirmation was met with silence.
Every government spokesperson repeated nearly identical language.
“The Leader continues to guide the nation.”
“The institutions of the Islamic Republic remain fully operational.”
“Security considerations prevent further comment.”
Leila knew enough to recognize coordinated messaging.
She also knew that coordinated messaging often concealed uncertainty.
