Iran’s new supreme leader injured but ‘safe’, says president’s son
Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has been injured but is “safe and sound,” according to the son of the Iranian president, who offered the first official clarification on Wednesday regarding the 56-year-old’s absence since his appointment over the weekend.
In a post on his Telegram channel, Yousef Pezeshkian, who also serves as a government adviser, wrote, “I heard news that Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I asked some friends who had connections.” He added, “They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.” Yousef is the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Mojtaba, previously a low-profile but powerful figure operating behind the scenes, was appointed as Iran’s top leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike at the onset of the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic.
However, questions have mounted regarding his whereabouts and health since his appointment by the Assembly of Experts. The new supreme leader has yet to appear in public, let alone address the nation.
State television had previously referred to him as a “wounded veteran of the Ramazan war,” but provided no further details.
