Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei injured but ‘safe’, says president’s son

Mojtaba Khamenei, recently appointed as the new supreme leader of Iran, has reportedly been injured but remains “safe and sound,” according to a statement released Wednesday by the son of the country’s president.

Yousef Pezeshkian, who also serves as a government adviser and is the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, made the disclosure in a message posted on his Telegram channel. The statement marks the first official explanation for the absence of the 56-year-old leader from public view since his appointment over the weekend.

“I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections,” Yousef Pezeshkian wrote.

“They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound,” he added.

Khamenei, who had long operated as a powerful but largely behind-the-scenes figure in Iranian politics, assumed the country’s top position after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei. The elder Khamenei was reportedly killed in an air strike during the early stages of the ongoing war between United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic.

His appointment by the powerful Assembly of Experts clerical body sparked questions about his condition and whereabouts, as the new leader has yet to appear publicly or address the nation since assuming office.

Iranian state television earlier referred to him as a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war,” a reference to the conflict that erupted during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, though it did not provide further details about his injuries.

According to a report by The New York Times citing three unnamed Iranian officials, Khamenei sustained multiple injuries.

The report said he “had suffered injuries, including to his legs, but that he was alert and sheltering at a highly secure location with limited communication”.

Speculation has also emerged that he may have been wounded during the daytime strike on a compound in Tehran on February 28, the same attack that reportedly killed his father, as well as his mother and wife, on the first day of the conflict.

Despite his absence from public view, Khamenei’s image has been prominently displayed across the capital. Large billboards have appeared in Tehran, including one depicting him symbolically receiving the Iranian national flag from his father while the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, looks on.

Thousands of pro-government supporters also carried posters bearing his image during a mass rally in central Tehran on Monday.

However, dissent has also surfaced in the capital, with reports of night-time chants of “Death to Mojtaba!” reflecting opposition to a figure widely believed to have played a significant role in suppressing anti-government protests that have erupted periodically since 2009.

Khamenei’s father, Ali, himself lived with a partially paralysed arm for much of his life after surviving an assassination attempt in 1981 that was attributed to the militant opposition group People’s Mujahedin of Iran.

Under Iran’s political system, the supreme leader holds office for life and serves as both the country’s highest political authority and a religious guide for Shia Muslims.

Analysts believe that Khamenei is likely to remain out of public view for an extended period due to the high risk of assassination attempts.

Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies suggested the new leader would adopt strict security measures following the killing of his father and other family members.

He said he expected him “to sit in a bunker somewhere for a very long time because he saw what happened to his father, his wife, his mother, who were all killed in the initial attack.”

“Killing him early is certainly an Israeli priority. If he survives, he becomes a totem, a testimony to the resilience of the system,” Hokayem said during an online event organised by the think tank.

The analyst predicted that Khamenei might delegate key responsibilities within the government, possibly leaving administrative affairs to national security chief Ali Larijani and military coordination to powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Following his appointment, both the Iranian military and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pledged loyalty to him. Allied groups in the region, including the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, also expressed their support.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin of Russia offered what he described as “unwavering support” to the new leader.

In contrast, Donald Trump of the United States had earlier warned against Khamenei’s emergence as Iran’s supreme leader.

“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long.”

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