Kamal Ghorui
Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is “safe and sound” despite reports that he was injured during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, said the son of Iran’s president. The update comes as questions continue to swirl about the cleric’s whereabouts after days without a public appearance.Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and a government adviser, said he had sought confirmation after hearing rumours that Khamenei had been hurt in the fighting. In a post on Telegram on Wednesday, he wrote: “I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.”The remarks appear to be the first indirect reassurance from officials about the condition of the 56-year-old cleric since he was elevated to the country’s highest political and religious position. His father, Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades, was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that triggered a wider regional conflict.Despite becoming the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader earlier this week, Mojtaba Khamenei has not addressed the public or released any written statement since his appointment on Sunday. His absence has fuelled speculation inside and outside Iran about his health and location as the war intensifies.A report by The New York Times, citing three unnamed Iranian officials, said Khamenei had sustained injuries during the attacks, including wounds to his legs. The officials said he remained alert but was sheltering in a highly secure location with extremely limited communication.Iranian state television has also referred to the cleric as a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war,” though it has not clarified the nature of his injuries or how they were sustained.The uncertainty surrounding Khamenei’s condition comes as the conflict across the Middle East continues to expand. The war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and has since drawn in several regional actors, with missile attacks, drone interceptions and naval incidents reported across the Gulf.Iranian forces launched fresh barrages of missiles towards Israel, while Gulf states including Saudi Arabia reported intercepting multiple ballistic missiles and drones targeting military bases and oil facilities. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said missiles had been fired towards a United States base in Kuwait, though Kuwaiti authorities have yet to confirm the claim.
