Amid intense speculation over his whereabouts, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a written message thanking the people of Iraq and its religious leadership for their support “in the face of aggression.”
According to Islamic Republic News Agency (ISNA), the message followed a meeting between the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad.
Since being named Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a public appearance, issuing only rare written statements—fueling speculation about his condition. Although Iranian state media continue to publish his images, there is no confirmation that they are recent.
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Some reports, citing Iranian officials, suggest that he is recovering from injuries sustained in an airstrike. Adding to the uncertainty, last week Donald Trump said Washington was engaging with a “top person” in talks with Iran, but clarified that it was not the Supreme Leader.
“We don’t know if he is living,” Trump said.
A report earlier this month by The Sun claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei lost a leg and suffered a liver rupture in an airstrike, and is undergoing treatment at Sina University Hospital. These claims, however, remain unverified.
Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israel airstrike on February 28. Despite assuming office, the new leader has yet to appear in public.
He is the third Supreme Leader of Iran since the 1979 revolution, succeeding his father and the country’s founding leader, Ruhollah Khomeini.