New reports have emerged detailing the condition of Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, following the recent US and Israeli airstrikes. According to sources, Khamenei sustained a fractured foot, a bruised eye, and facial lacerations during the initial wave of attacks.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father earlier this week, was said to have been in a secure underground location when the strikes occurred on February 28. Iranian officials shared this information with The New York Times, describing the injuries as minor.
This update provides the first official insight into Khamenei’s health after previous reports suggested he was gravely injured and possibly unconscious. Despite these speculations, the newly appointed leader has not yet appeared in public or issued any statements.
Israeli media had previously reported that Khamenei suffered a leg injury around the time the conflict began. Further details revealed he also sustained a bruise near his left eye and minor cuts on his face, as covered by CNN.
The same airstrike that injured Mojtaba Khamenei tragically claimed the life of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Alireza Salarian, Iran’s ambassador to Cyprus, confirmed this information to the Guardian. The attack also reportedly resulted in the deaths of several family members, including the ayatollah’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law.
Along with the ayatollah, the strike also reportedly killed the slain leader’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law.
Despite Iranian officials claiming that Khamenei was fine and awake, Salarian suggested the injuries from the strike have left the new supreme leader unable to give a convincing statement, leading to his failure to make any public appearance.
“I don’t think he is comfortable (in any condition) to give a speech,” Salarian told the Guardian.
The full extent of Khamenei’s injuries and status remains unclear.
The new supreme leader was notably absent from his own succession rally in Tehran on Monday, when thousands of his supporters came out to celebrate his appointment as Iran’s new leader.
The civilians were instead greeted with a mere portrait of the nepo-baby mullah, which was overshadowed by a frame of his father that was twice the size and positioned at the center of the stage, according to state media footage of the event.
Khamenei’s ascension has made him a clear target for the US and Israel, with President Trump previously slamming the heir as an “unacceptable” choice to lead Iran.
Trump has said that without his personal stamp of approval, Iran’s new leader is “not going to last long.”
