Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran's new Supreme Leader has not made a public appearance even five days after assuming charge. Though there were rumours that he died in US-Israel strikes, the latest reports claim that he is in a coma.
United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Friday that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is "wounded and likely disfigured."
"We know the new so-called (not-so) Supreme Leader is wounded and likely disfigured. He put out a statement yesterday, a weak one actually, but there was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement," said Hegseth.
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"Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders — so why only a written statement? I think you know why. He’s scared. He’s injured. He’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy. It’s a mess for them," he added.
Mojtaba is said to have lost a leg and suffered liver rupture during an air strike, according to The Sun. Whether this was the same strike that killed his father has not been officially confirmed.
Where is Mojtaba Khamenei?
The UK tabloid claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei is undergoing treatment at Sina University Hospital in Tehran and is under heavy security protection. An Iranian source cited in the report claimed that Mojtaba is in "very serious" condition.
“One or two of his legs have been cut off. His liver or stomach has also ruptured. He is apparently in a coma as well,” the source told The Sun.
The revelation comes as the first statement attributed to Mojtaba was read out on state television by a news anchor on Thursday. He did not appear on camera, further raising speculations about his condition.
Mojtaba's statement said the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz will continue and the strikes on Gulf Arab neighbours would not stop. "We will not forgo revenge for the blood of the martyrs... The tool for closing the Strait of Hormuz must be preserved, and if necessary, other fronts must be opened," the statement said.
Speaking about strikes on GCC countries, Mojtaba said, "We believe in friendship with our neighbours, but we will target the American bases and will inevitably continue."
