56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, who became the Supreme Leader of Iran after the death of his father, sustained leg injuries on the first day of military actions initiated by Israel and the U.S., reports the New York Times, citing sources among Iranian and Israeli officials.
As clarified by three Iranian officials, Khamenei is conscious and is hiding in a secure shelter, having limited means of communication.
Two representatives of the Israeli armed forces reported that they learned about the injury of Ali Khamenei's son even before he was appointed the new leader of Iran.
NYT emphasizes that hints about Khamenei's health condition came from mentions on state television and in the IRNA agency, where he was described as a "wounded veteran of the war."
However, details regarding the circumstances of his injuries and their severity remain unclear.
Mojtaba Khamenei was proclaimed the new Supreme Leader of Iran on March 8. Since then, he has not appeared in public or made any official statements.
According to Reuters, the appointment of the new leader was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In fact, the IRGC insisted on the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei, considering him a more loyal version of his father, ready to support their strict political line, which alleviated concerns from pragmatically minded politicians.
With the increasing influence of the IRGC amid the war, this authority quickly overcame the doubts of high-ranking political and religious figures, which delayed the official announcement of the appointment for several hours.
Opponents of Khamenei's appointment expressed concern that by Tuesday evening—almost 48 hours after his election—he still had not made a public address, even though the war had already claimed the lives of over a thousand Iranians.
According to three high-ranking Iranian sources, as well as a former reformist official and another insider, Khamenei's selection by the Revolutionary Guards could lead to a more aggressive foreign policy and increased internal pressure.
Two of them expressed concerns that the dominance of the IRGC in the political system could ultimately transform the Islamic Republic into a military state, cloaked only in a thin veneer of religious legitimacy.
The NYT report: the new Iranian leader was wounded at the beginning of the war was first published on the K-News website.
