Report reveals the health condition of Iran’s new Supreme Leader

Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, is still recovering from serious injuries to his face and legs.

According to reports, citing three sources familiar with Mojtaba Khamenei’s inner circle, the 56-year-old was seriously injured in the airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the war.

Sources reported that Mojtaba Khamenei suffered serious facial injuries during a raid targeting the former Supreme Leader’s compound in central Tehran on February 28, along with what were described as significant injuries to one or both of his legs.

An additional source familiar with US intelligence assessments said those assessments indicated he had lost one of his legs.

Despite the severity of his injuries, sources indicate that Khamenei remains mentally stable and participates in meetings with senior officials via video conference.

He also continues to play a role in decision-making on major issues, including the war and negotiations with Washington.

However, his whereabouts, precise health condition, and actual capacity to govern remain largely undisclosed within Iran.

Since the airstrike and his assumption of the position of Supreme Leader on March 8, no photos, audio or video recordings of Mojtaba Khamenei have been released.

Sources indicate that updated photos of him may be released within a month or two, with the possibility of a public appearance later, but this remains contingent on his health and security developments.

Sources also stated that Iranian officials fear the United States and Israel might attempt to target him if his location is revealed, given the absence of a permanent ceasefire.

Iranian authorities have not issued any official statement detailing his injuries or the circumstances of his absence from public view.

Tehran’s official media also resorted to displaying images and videos created using artificial intelligence techniques, showing Mojtaba Khamenei giving speeches to crowds or standing next to his father and leaders who fell in the war.

According to Reuters, this information is consistent with previous statements by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on March 13, in which he said that Khamenei was injured and possibly maimed.”

Analysts believe that Mojtaba Khamenei, regardless of the severity of his injuries, is unlikely to be able to exert the same level of influence as his father in the near term, and may need years to consolidate his power, if he is able to do so at all.

For nearly four decades, Mojtaba Khamenei operated in the shadows during his father’s rule, maintaining limited influence without a prominent public presence.

With his rise to the highest office in Iran at a time when the country is facing military conflict with the United States and Israel, there are growing indications that the center of gravity in decision-making has shifted from the charismatic individual to the grip of the establishment, with the security and military apparatus now effectively driving the country’s affairs.

Some analysts believe he may be inclined to continue his father’s hardline approach, but that remains within the realm of uncertain assessments.

His first address to the Iranian people was issued in writing on March 12 and read on state television, in which he called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain closed and warned countries in the region against closing US bases on their territories.

Since then, his office’s communications have been limited to short written statements, while senior Iranian officials have taken over issuing key political positions on war and diplomacy.

In contrast, supporters of the Iranian regime justify its absence from the public scene as a security necessity imposed by threats, especially in the wake of the US and Israeli air strikes that targeted the leadership elite.