Reuters revealed insider information stating that Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader, is still recuperating from severe wounds to his face and legs after surviving an airstrike that killed his father, amid questions about his capability to govern during the war crisis.
Three sources close to Iran's inner circle disclosed that 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader, is currently undergoing treatment for serious injuries to his face and leg resulting from an airstrike on the leadership compound in Tehran at the start of the war.
The sources noted that his face was disfigured by the attack and he sustained severe injuries to at least one leg. However, he remains mentally sharp and fully conscious, currently performing his duties via voice conference to participate in key national decisions, including war strategy and negotiations with the U.S. government.
Reports of Khamenei's injuries align with statements by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on 13 March, who said Khamenei "was injured and may be disfigured."
Meanwhile, reports from U.S. officials and intelligence sources concur that he may have lost one leg due to the attack, although these details have not been independently verified.
Since his appointment to replace his father on 8 March, no photographs, videos, or audio recordings of him have been released to the public, a mystery unfolding amid Iran's highest risk period in decades, especially as peace talks with the United States are set to begin in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Mojtaba was injured on 28 February, the first day of the war initiated by the United States and Israel, during which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his father and former Supreme Leader who had ruled since 1989, was killed instantly along with his wife and several of Mojtaba's close relatives.
Although Iran’s state-run television once referred to him as "Janbaz" (meaning severely wounded war veteran), both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office have declined to comment officially on the matter.
Analysts from the Middle East Institute suggest that while Mojtaba represents continuity of the existing regime, his injuries and relative inexperience compared to his father may hinder his ability to consolidate authority and lead the country through this major crisis.