Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is "safe and sound" despite war injuries, said Yousef Pezeshkian, a government adviser and the son of Iran’s
president, on Wednesday. Posting to his Telegram channel, Pezeshkian said, "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 comments come amid speculation over the health and whereabouts of Khamenei, who has not engaged with the public since he succeeded his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, three days ago. State television had called Khamenei, 56, a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war” but never specified his injury. According to the New York Times, Khamenei was injured on the opening day of the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran, citing three Iranian and two Israeli officials who spoke anonymously.
Khamenei Did Not Want His Son Mojtaba To Take Over
The development comes after Khamenei was killed in airstrikes on February 28, triggering a leadership transition in Iran. A report by the New York Post claims that Khamenei had explicitly opposed dynastic succession in his will. However, the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly pushed Mojtaba into the role of Supreme Leader regardless.
According to experts, the elder Khamenei had serious reservations about his son's suitability for the role. "In Khamenei's will, he explicitly asked Mojtaba not to be named as successor," said Khosro Isfahani, research director at the opposition group National Union for Democracy, which has ties to Iranian intelligence networks.
(This is a developing story)
