Injured and Disfigured, Iran’s New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Reportedly Operated on Secretly in Russia

According to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, the Iranian leader was reportedly transported aboard a Russian military aircraft to receive treatment outside Iran. The operation allegedly took place in one of the presidential residences of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Daily Mail reported, citing media sources.

Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in airstrikes attributed to the United States and Israel. Since then, several sources have claimed that the new leader was seriously wounded at the start of the U.S. military operation.

According to some information relayed by British media outlets, the condition of the 56-year-old Iranian official is said to be particularly concerning. An anonymous source mentioned severe injuries, claiming that one or both legs may have been amputated and that vital organs were affected. The same source also suggested that he could be in a coma, although these claims have not been independently verified.

For his part, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the Iranian leader was “injured and probably disfigured.”

Iranian authorities, however, have only acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded, without providing further details regarding the nature or severity of his injuries.

On the ground, some Iranian military officials reportedly say they are not receiving direct instructions from the new Supreme Leader, fueling questions about his ability to govern. “No one really knows whether he is alive or dead. We are only told that he is injured,” a source quoted by British media allegedly said, adding that the leader’s absence is complicating the conduct of ongoing military operations.

Editorial team/le7tv