Mojtaba Khamenei narrowly avoided a fatal attack by mere seconds, thanks to an impromptu decision to take a walk in the garden, according to newly surfaced audio recordings.
The new Supreme Leader of Iran was the intended target in the same assault that claimed the life of his father on February 28. However, his spontaneous choice to step outside at that moment inadvertently saved him from the deadly attack.
Mazaher Hosseini, who heads protocol for the regime, has now provided a detailed recount of the events when an Israeli missile struck the Khamenei family residence.
Hosseini informed high-ranking clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that Mojtaba Khamenei sustained an injury to his leg during the attack.
Tragically, the attack instantly claimed the lives of his wife and son, and his brother-in-law was also killed in the incident.
In the leaked audio shared with The Telegraph, Hosseini remarks, “It was God’s will that Mojtaba needed to step out into the yard for a moment and then come back.”
‘He was outside and was heading upstairs when they struck the building with a missile. His wife, Ms Haddad, was martyred instantly.’
The body of Mohammad Shirazi, chief of Khamenei’s military bureau, was ‘blown to pieces’, according to Mr Hosseini – who added that only ‘a few kilos of flesh’ could be used to identify him.
Mojtaba Khamenei (pictured, centre) escaped death by seconds after he stepped outside to take a stroll in the garden, leaked audio has revealed
Explosions were seen and heard across parts of the Iranian capital on February 28, with smoke rising above residential areas
Mojtaba Khamenei had been living in the same compound as his father in Tehran.
The residence also incorporated a religious hall where the late Ali Khamenei would give speeches, as well as the homes of Khamenei’s other children.
On the last day of February, Ali Khamenei had been gathered for a meeting with senior security officials when missiles hit the compound.
Mr Hosseini said Mojtaba Khamenei suffered only ‘a minor injury to his leg’.
According to Mr Hossenei, multiple locations within the complex were targeted simultaneously.
He said in reference to the attackers that ‘these devils’ had considered several locations within the office complex to strike, before settling on the location with the supreme leader and hitting it with three missiles.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s home on an upper floor was also struck, as well as the residence below, which belonged to his brother-in-law and also the home of his brother.
Mr Hosseini revealed the missiles were ‘so powerful’ that they ‘cut his (Ali Khamanei’s brother-in-law) head in half’.
Mostafa Khamenei – Mojtaba’s brother – had been in a ‘nearby’ residence with his wife when it was also struck.
He said some ‘dust and rubble fell over’ but that ‘thank God they came out unharmed’.
Military chief Mohammad Shirazi, who was ‘blown to pieces’, had been targeted in an effort to scupper succession planning, Mr Hosseini claimed.
He added that ‘this dear man had information on all military personnel’.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured) was killed after a devastating barrage of 30 bombs obliterated his compound in Iran
Israeli sources tonight said the leaked recording could be Iranian propaganda attempting to reassure its public that its leader had escaped largely unscathed.
It comes amid fierce speculation over the condition of Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who was declared supreme leader after his father was killed in the strikes, but has yet to be seen in public.
His first official statement was read on state TV last week. Speculation about his condition is rife, with reports suggesting he may have been injured in the airstrike that killed the Ayatollah, including to his face and legs.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that Mojtaba is ‘wounded and likely disfigured.’
CBS News reported that Trump has privately told people close to him he isn’t sure the intelligence on Mojtaba matters, suggesting Iran may effectively be leaderless and that the younger Khamenei could already be dead.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told Sky News the Ayatollah was ‘healthy’ and ‘in charge’.
Meanwhile, it was reported that US intelligence revealed Ali Khamenei feared his son was ‘not bright enough’ to rule the country.
The elder Khamenei reportedly saw Mojtaba as ‘unqualified to be leader’ and noted he ‘struggled in his personal life,’ CBS News reported, citing multiple sources briefed on the matter.
On Friday President Donald Trump told Fox News that Mojtaba ‘is not somebody that the father even wanted’.
US President Donald Trump said he had heard a ‘rumour’ of Mojtaba’s death
Mojtaba Khamenei is Iran’s third supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini, and his dynastic succession is notable because the revolution originally overthrew a hereditary monarchy.
The revelations come as Israel said it destroyed a plane used by the late cleric at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran overnight Sunday.
The aircraft was reportedly used by senior Iranian officials and military figures to travel domestically and abroad. Mehrabad serves as both a civilian and military airport.
The IDF says the dismantling of the aircraft disrupts the Iranian leadership’s coordination capabilities with axis countries.
Iran launched fresh drone strikes on Gulf States including the UAE today, temporarily shutting Dubai International airport, the world’s busiest, as an oil tank nearby was hit.
Iran has fired over 1,200 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, making it one of the most heavily targeted countries in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has declared it has begun ‘limited’ and ‘targeted operations’ against Iran’s proxy Hezbollah in southern Lebanon who joined hostilities on day two of the operation.
