Iranian officials say the country’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured during an earlier air strike but is currently safe.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since being named supreme leader over the weekend, following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in an air strike at the start of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel on February 28.
In a message posted on Telegram, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s president and a government adviser, said he had sought confirmation about reports of Mojtaba Khamenei’s injuries.
“I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I asked some friends who had connections,” he wrote. “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.”
Iran’s ambassador to Cyprus, Alireza Salarian, also confirmed the injury in an interview with The Guardian, saying Khamenei had been present during the bombardment in central Tehran and sustained injuries.
The strike reportedly hit a compound in Tehran and killed several members of the Khamenei family, including Mojtaba’s wife and mother, according to Iranian authorities.
Uncertainty about the new leader’s condition had fuelled speculation online that he might have died in the attack. Iranian state television later described him as a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war,” referring to the conflict that erupted during the Muslim holy month.
Posters of Mojtaba Khamenei have since appeared across Tehran, including billboards showing him symbolically receiving Iran’s national flag from his father, alongside the country’s founding leader, Ruhollah Khomeini.
Thousands of pro-government supporters also displayed his posters during a large rally in the capital earlier this week, although reports have also emerged of night-time chants of “Death to Mojtaba!” in parts of the city, reflecting opposition among some Iranians.
According to a report by The New York Times citing Iranian officials, Khamenei suffered injuries to his legs but remains alert and is being kept at a highly secure location with limited communication.
Two Israeli military officials reportedly told the newspaper that their intelligence services also believe the new Iranian leader sustained leg injuries.
Analysts say Khamenei is likely to remain out of public view for security reasons, as he immediately became a potential assassination target after assuming leadership.
Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said the new leader may stay in a secure bunker for an extended period following the attack that killed several of his family members.
He suggested that Khamenei may delegate the running of government affairs to national security chief Ali Larijani, while the war effort could be overseen by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Both the Iranian military and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have pledged loyalty to Khamenei following his appointment, alongside allied groups such as the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin of Russia has promised “unwavering support” for Iran, while Donald Trump of the United States had earlier warned that Khamenei’s appointment as supreme leader would be “unacceptable.”
