At present, I’d say, outside of Khamenei’s immediate circle, the only other person who would know for sure, if the photos of Khamenei’s meeting last Saturday (Oct 17, 09) with President of Senegal are real or old ones is Abdoulaye Wade (Senegalese President).
At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter if Khamenei is dead or alive. He has been ill for a very long time & is bound to die sooner or later. What matters is not even who will succeed him. But, whether the role of the Supreme Leader will remain, or will there be any significant changes to it, along with the content of IRI Constitution, the role of the Guardian Council, the role of the Assembly of Experts and the IRGC. Basically, what matters is whether IRI’s constitution & structure will signifcantly alter or not as a result of Khamenei’s death.
Yup, pretty much.
The only reason it matters, is that nothing has even a chance of changing while he’s still alive - for better or worse.