Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has stepped into one of the most powerful positions in the Islamic Republic after years of operating largely behind the scenes.His elevation came shortly after a US-Israeli airstrike killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989.Reportedly wounded in the strikes himself, Mojtaba Khamenei has issued more than a dozen written messages since taking office, but is yet to make a public appearance.In his latest message, issued last month, Mojtaba Khamenei warned the United States of “unforgettable lessons” if it continued attacking the Islamic Republic, while declaring that US President Donald Trump’s signature was “worthless and invalid.”The written statement, read out on Iranian state television, came hours after Tehran announced it was suspending its commitments under an interim agreement signed about a month earlier, as the United States and Iran continued to exchange strikes on military and infrastructure targets.“Now that the American enemy is seeking to escalate the conflict thereby incurring even heavier costs and further humiliation, it should know that the noble nation of Iran and the Resistance Front have unforgettable lessons in store for it,” Mojtaba had said.The statement marked Khamenei’s first public message since the conflict escalated again, as uncertainty grew over diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the fighting.Despite his written messages and activity on social media channels, there has been no independent confirmation that Mojtaba Khamenei is alive following the February 28 attack, which also killed his wife, Zahra Haddad Adel, and other members of the Khamenei family.Several Iranian officials, however, have said that he was wounded in the attack, fuelling speculation that he may be waiting to recover before making a public appearance while also taking precautions over his security.
‘Met a voice in the dark’, says Iran’s president
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian was reportedly taken to an undisclosed location in Tehran for a brief meeting with a man introduced to him as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Iran International, in an encounter that has raised fresh questions over the secrecy surrounding Iran’s new leadership.The report claimed Pezeshkian was escorted into the back seat of a dark, tinted-window vehicle, where the man identified as Khamenei was already seated. The windows were kept dark and security personnel reportedly prevented the two men from seeing or shaking hands, leaving them to communicate only by voice.The report further alleged that Pezeshkian later questioned whether the voice he heard actually belonged to the new supreme leader. The meeting was said to have lasted only a few minutes, despite Pezeshkian later telling trade association representatives that he had spent two and a half hours with Khamenei in a “cordial atmosphere”.According to the report, Pezeshkian had repeatedly sought a meeting with the supreme leader and had threatened to resign. His office eventually agreed to an audience but, breaking with previous practice, did not receive him at the official residence and instead directed him to the undisclosed location.
Khamenei’s health under scrutiny
Reports in Israeli media have claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in critical condition and has been taken to a hospital, though there has been no independent confirmation of his reported health status.Channel 14 (C14), citing sources inside Iran, and an earlier report by the Jerusalem Post, which quoted IranWire and sources close to Pezeshkian’s administration, said rumours that Khamenei is in an “extremely critical condition” are circulating among senior officials in the Iranian regime. One source cited by the Jerusalem Post said, “We would not be surprised if we heard news of his martyrdom soon.”The reports also claim Khamenei was injured and possibly disfigured in the initial strikes targeting his father’s compound, forcing him into hiding and leading him to communicate with senior regime officials through intermediaries to reduce the risk of being targeted.Adding to the uncertainty, Pezeshkian said in a state television interview that direct contact with Khamenei was currently “very difficult”.
Supreme leader ‘not in Iran’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “is not in Iran”, according to an Israeli security source cited by Saudi outlet al-Hadath, adding to growing uncertainty over his whereabouts and role in the country’s leadership.The source also claimed that Khamenei’s official messages are being drafted by newly appointed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi and other senior IRGC officials.Amid Khamenei’s prolonged absence from public view, chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Pezeshkian and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi have emerged as the most prominent figures shaping Iran’s post-war direction. The shift has reportedly deepened tensions with hardliners, who accuse the visible leadership of weakening traditional state institutions to consolidate their influence.
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