The new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mohtaba Khamenei, sustained leg injuries on the first day of the conflict, which is one of the reasons for his absence from public view and silence since his election. This was reported by The New York Times, citing information from three Iranian sources.
According to the data provided by the newspaper's sources, high-ranking government officials reported the incident involving Khamenei's injuries. They stated that the new Supreme Leader is conscious and is hiding in a secure location with limited means of communication.
Israeli military sources also confirmed the information about Khamenei's injuries, indicating that the incident occurred on February 28.
As noted by NYT, one of the indirect confirmations of the new Supreme Leader's injury can be seen in reports from state television and the Irna agency, where Khamenei was referred to as a "wounded veteran of the war." Additionally, in a congratulatory message from the Imdad Committee, a significant religious charitable organization, he was addressed using a Persian term related to veterans who were injured during the war.
However, in Iran, officials denied the information regarding Khamenei's injuries. Yusef Pezeshkian, the son of the president of the Islamic Republic, stated that the new Supreme Leader is in good health. "I heard that Mr. Mohtaba was injured. I contacted friends who communicate with him. They assured me that, by God's grace, he is healthy and everything is fine," he wrote on his Telegram channel on March 10.
Earlier, on March 7, Israeli Channel 12 had already reported on Khamenei's injuries, pointing to his status as the main candidate for the position of Supreme Leader, which was previously held by his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 as a result of an Israeli airstrike.
On March 8, Iran announced the election of a new Supreme Leader, and the next day it became known that Mohtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ali Khamenei, who is 56 years old, was appointed. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged allegiance to the new Supreme Leader of Iran.
