US President Donald Trump recently expressed interest in meeting with the Islamic Republic’s leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, during a conversation on the “Pod Force One” podcast. In response to a question regarding Mojtaba Khamenei’s role in negotiations between Tehran and Washington, Trump stated, “He is completely involved in this matter. I think they have a lot of respect for him.” Trump added that he had heard the leader of the Islamic Republic is “not doing very well,” but confirms and gives his approval during the course of the negotiations.
Since March 8, when the Islamic Republic’s media announced that the Assembly of Experts had selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader, he has never appeared in public and has only issued written messages. Explaining this absence, Member of Parliament Salar Velayatmadar stated: “Based on the opinion of the scholars of Najaf, Qom, and Mashhad, and the decision of security officials, no new images or works of his are being published for the time being so that enemies cannot harm him through specific channels and occult sciences, which are discussed in universities such as the Tel Aviv University of Occult Sciences.” With such pretexts, various state officials justify his absence from gatherings; but is the third leader of the Islamic Republic truly healthy, and why are the narratives regarding his health so contradictory?
These narratives took shape from the very first days following the attack on his residence. Almost everyone emphasized one point: that “Agha Mojtaba” is in “perfect health.” However, every official who has spoken about him has clouded the scene rather than resolving the ambiguities. Over this period, we gradually went from “a few scratches” to “superficial injuries,” and then to the number of stitches and surgery. In many of these statements, the speakers cite hearsay rather than direct observation. Alongside the inconsistency of the statements regarding his health, the location where he is said to have been struck is also not uniform, and it remains unclear where he was during the attacks by US and Israeli forces on February 28. Fundamentally, how did an explosion wave that warped the door of the adjacent building leave Mojtaba completely unaffected, according to the narrative of Iranian officials?
Mojtaba is Healthy, But Everything Was Ruined
Following the attack on the Supreme Leader’s residence, speculation regarding the Khamenei family began. While news of the deaths of family members was being published, suddenly, without referencing the whole family, Esmaeil Kousari, a member of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, stated on February 28, “The Supreme Leader is in perfect health, and the people should not pay attention to the rumors of the lying media.” He emphasized: “Based on accurate information, the Supreme Leader is in perfect health and is commanding the battlefield.”
Approximately twenty hours after the 9:45 AM attack on Saturday, the political system decided to announce that Seyyed Ali Khamenei had been killed, and gradually, the names of several family members, including his wife, were published, which was later denied, and there has been no information about her since. Among the list of those killed, there was no trace of the names of Mojtaba or Khamenei’s other sons. Two days later, regarding Mojtaba’s health, the Mehr News Agency wrote: “According to authentic received news and contrary to the rumors of the Zionist media, Hojjatoleslam wal-Muslemin Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the martyred Imam of the Islamic Revolution, is in perfect health.”
On March 2, in a speech by Yahya Rahim-Safavi, an advisor to the former leader, while stating, “After the 12-day war, we knew they would resort to tricks and lies again, and from that day on, concurrent with diplomacy, we increased our defensive and missile power,” he explained the intensity of the explosion that occurred at the Beyt. He stated that the explosion at the Beyt was such that “all” the windows of his office near the building were shattered, and the “iron door was warped.” Despite such a massive explosion, on March 10—two days after the selection of the new leader—Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of the President, wrote on his Telegram channel: “I heard news of Agha Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said that by God’s grace, he is healthy and there is no problem.”
The issue of the new leader’s health was also internationalized on March 19 by Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he declared: “As far as I know, there were only superficial injuries, and he is in perfect health.” He made this statement despite not having seen the new leader, emphasizing that he obtained his information from other individuals.
In response to questions about Mojtaba Khamenei’s health, officials generally stated for a long time that he was doing well. However, Mohsen Ghomi, the deputy of international affairs at the Supreme Leader’s office, while considering this question fundamentally an “enemy ruse,” stated that he sustained an “injury” and that God “preserved him as a reserve for the Shia.” He explained that a few minutes before the bomb struck the building, “due to a matter of business,” he had gone into the courtyard. Ghomi says that he is now controlling affairs and has even given warnings to the negotiating team.
Khamenei in Street Rallies
During this period, the Islamic Republic has constantly spoken of the convergence between the battlefield, diplomacy, and the streets. However, it appears that major differences exist among various factions, even regarding the son of Khamenei. On May 7, President Masoud Pezeshkian announced during a meeting: “We had a meeting with him that lasted nearly two to two and a half hours,” describing the encounter as intimate. He was among the few who explicitly spoke of meeting the Supreme Leader, yet he said nothing about his health. What was bizarre, however, was that this meeting was subsequently denied. IRGC commanders expressed astonishment at the meeting, labeling the president’s remarks as an “intent to deceive public opinion.”
This cycle of confirmation and denial between a group of individuals on the battlefield (IRGC commanders) and diplomacy (government officials) over Khamenei highlights part of the ongoing rift among officials. This is particularly notable given that Pezeshkian’s remarks contained nothing but praise and offered no further details. The tension between these two factions is also manifesting on the streets.
A day after Pezeshkian’s remarks, Seyyed Mazaher Hosseini, the head of meetings for the office of the former leader, explained during a street rally: “They struck his residence, and his wife was martyred. En route, as he reached the stairs to go up, the missile struck there; Ms. Haddad-Adel was martyred, and Mr. Mesbah, who was on the lower floor, was martyred. The impact of the blast wave also struck Ayatollah Mojtaba en route, knocking him to the ground. His kneecap and back sustained some damage… He is in perfect health… He sustained a small scratch behind his ear, which is not visible at all when he wears his turban… He is in perfect health.”
Interestingly, Mahmoud Nabavian, a hardline member of parliament, made no mention of any of the details cited by Hosseini during a public gathering on April 17, stating only: “To the blind frustration of all enemies, the Agha is in perfect health, and please recite a Salawat for his health.”
A similar approach was taken by eulogist Meysam Motiee at another street rally. On April 13, an attendee questioned him about the new leader’s health, to which Motiee responded: “I asked individuals who are informed,” adding that the leader is “without injury” and in “perfect health,” and is fully aware of cyberspace, public demands, and the situation on the battlefield.
The Hospital: Surgery or Stitches
Among everything that has been stated so far, no consensus exists regarding whether Mojtaba Khamenei was hospitalized or, if so, for how long. Member of Parliament Mohsen Zanganeh, who is close to the new leader, stated during a television program on March 29 that he retained full consciousness following the attack and “did not even require hospitalization” because he only sustained a few scratches and cuts. He emphasized: “He was not in the hospital for even twenty-four hours.”
During a television broadcast, Alireza Marandi, the head of the former leader’s medical team, made an appearance. While it was expected that he would explain the new leader’s condition, he effectively said nothing about the new leader’s health, emphasizing instead: “Ayatollah Agha Mojtaba is a carbon copy of his father. I have known them since they were very young. We practically grew up together, meaning I grew older alongside them.” While this silence must be viewed as telling, Hossein-Ali Shahriari, the head of the parliamentary Health and Medical Commission, stated in a brief interview: “Masha’Allah, his health is excellent and fine, and he enjoys perfect health.”
Ministry of Health Spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour explained during a conference that Mojtaba Khamenei had been brought to Sina Hospital. He stated that “nothing special” had happened to Mojtaba. He noted that the wounds did not deface his “features and appearance” and that “unlike the martyred Imam, he suffered no amputation.” A few stitches were applied to his head and face, and “two or three stitches” were performed on his leg at the hospital. He explained: “My colleagues said that no matter how hard we tried to get him to break his fast, he refused, and he maintained his fast until Iftar. This itself is a testament to his health, because if the injury were severe, he would not have been able to disregard our medical advice.” Kermanpour also stated: “He was discharged at 2:00 AM on February 28 and transferred to the location where he needed to go.”
While these reports were being announced by various health officials of the Islamic Republic, The New York Times, citing four senior officials of the Islamic Republic, reported that one of Mojtaba Khamenei’s legs had undergone surgery three times and that he is waiting to receive a prosthetic leg. These officials stated that Mojtaba Khamenei’s face and lips were severely burned, making it difficult for him to speak. Furthermore, he has undergone surgery on one of his hands and is gradually regaining its functionality.
Efforts to Control Public Opinion
The collective statements of various officials indicate that the issue of Mojtaba Khamenei’s health is not a standard medical matter for the political order. Most of those who have spoken about him have not seen him, and the meaningful silence of certain key figures likely signifies that politics intends to construct reality as it desires and manage the crisis at the apex of the pyramid.
Furthermore, the manner in which information is presented demonstrates that the new leader’s physical condition is being disclosed in a limited and controlled fashion. This method may be linked to political and security considerations, including efforts to solidify the position of power and advance consultations to shape a new order within the decision-making structure. For this reason, by adopting a gradual, drip-feed approach in delivering narratives about his health, the regime is attempting to maintain the image of an “authoritative power” and prevent a decline in the morale of its loyalist base.
Nonetheless, a series of scattered and inconsistent answers regarding the location of the incident, the extent of the injury, and the duration of the hospital stay has created an inescapable paradox for the government. Insisting on the “perfect health” of a leader from whom not a single photograph or audio recording has been released for more than three months has discredited the official narrative before a large segment of public opinion. The Islamic Republic is attempting to mask the defaced countenance of truth by managing public perception and replacing the “physical presence” of the third leader with “written decrees”; however, this media engineering will not satisfy the loyalists on the streets forever.
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