war iran
Is he seriously injured in hiding in a bunker or is he in “perfect health”? More than two months after the deadly airstrike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (86), conflicting reports continue to circulate about the condition of his son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (56). He has not appeared in public since the February 28 attack.
Ine Holmstock
Journalist at HLN
Source: The Times, The New York Times, CBS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on the CBS News program 60 Minutes that Mojtaba Khamenei is probably still alive and hiding in a secret location. “I think he is still alive. It is difficult to say exactly what his condition is. He is hiding somewhere in a bunker or in a secret location,” Netanyahu said. “I don’t think he has the same authority as his father.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was injured in the same airstrike that killed his father, wife Zahra and son Mohammad Bagher. According to the Iranian regime, the ayatollah has fully recovered from that attack.
LOOK. This is how Ali Khamenei, Iran’s ‘best guarded man’, was eliminated
Multiple operations
But The New York Times reported last month that Khamenei has undergone three operations on his leg and is awaiting a prosthesis. According to the newspaper, he also underwent surgery on one hand and will require reconstructive surgery on his face as his face and lips were reportedly badly burned.
The injuries would make it difficult for him to speak, which would explain his absence in public. According to the newspaper, he is being cared for by a team of doctors and communicating via “trusted couriers”.
“Lies,” according to Iran
Iran contradicts those reports. A senior official in the office of the supreme leader, Mazaher Hosseini, called reports of serious injuries “lies” and said Khamenei is in “full health.”
According to Hosseini, Khamenei only suffered minor back injuries that have since healed. He is also said to be recovering from damage to his kneecap. “He had a small cut behind his ear, but it has been completely treated and is not visible when he wears his turban,” Hosseini said. “He is in full health.”
According to Hosseini, “enemies of Iran are trying to obtain a voice recording or image of Khamenei.”
No images since February
No photos or videos of Khamenei have been released since the February 28 airstrike. His communication is limited to written statements for the time being. “Be patient,” official Hosseini said. “When the time comes, he himself will speak to you,” he said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is a heart surgeon and is said to be involved in the ayatollah’s medical care, said last week that he had spoken with Khamenei for two hours. “What struck me most during that meeting was the vision and humble and sincere attitude of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution,” Pezeshkian said.
Iran’s state agency Fars also reported on Sunday that Khamenei also met with General Ali Abdollahi, the head of Iran’s armed forces.
Meanwhile, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN and member of Donald Trump’s administration, said Khamenei’s injuries are complicating peace negotiations. “The new ayatollah, the son of the previous ayatollah, was seriously injured,” Waltz said in an interview with ABC News. “He is hiding and is extremely difficult to reach.”
