Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly injured but in a stable condition, according to official statements released Wednesday.
Khamenei, who has remained out of the public eye since his appointment over the weekend, succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, following the latter’s assassination in an air strike on February 28.
Confirming the leader’s status, Yousef Pezeshkian, the Iranian president’s son and government advisor, shared on Telegram: “I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections,” adding that his sources informed him, “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.”
The strike that killed the former supreme leader also claimed the lives of Mojtaba’s wife and mother.
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Tehran’s ambassador to Cyprus, Alireza Salarian, told The Guardian that Mojtaba “was also there and he was injured in that bombardment but I haven’t seen that reflected in the foreign news.”
While state television has referred to him as a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war,” The New York Times reported that he “had suffered injuries, including to his legs, but that he was alert and sheltering at a highly secure location with limited communication.”
This assessment of leg injuries was also supported by Israeli military officials.
Due to the high risk of further attacks, analysts believe the new commander-in-chief will remain underground.
Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies remarked that he expected Khamenei “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.”
Hokayem noted that while “Killing him early is certainly an Israeli priority,” his survival would make him “a totem, a testimony to the resilience of the system.”
The transition comes amid a volatile international climate, with the IRGC, Houthi rebels, and Hezbollah pledging allegiance, while Russian President Vladimir Putin promised “unwavering support.”
However, U.S. President Donald Trump has already voiced strong opposition to the appointment, warning on Sunday: “If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long.”
Internally, the new leader faces a divided public; while pro-government rallies have displayed his image on giant billboards, the capital has also heard chants of “Death to Mojtaba!” reflecting opposition to his past role in suppressing anti-government protests.
