All articles tagged with #supreme leader
Iran released a rare video showing Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid reports of deteriorating health; the footage aired by Mehr News Agency shows him with several people, though no timing or location was given. Mojtaba, elevated to leader after his father Ali Khamenei’s death, has not appeared publicly since, while the piece notes ongoing tensions with the US and other regional dynamics.
Iranian sources say Mojtaba Khamenei has not publicly appeared since a February attack on the Supreme Leader's compound and the deaths of family members, fueling rumors of poor health and prompting concern at the highest levels of the regime.
Iran's president says it’s 'very difficult' to contact the absent Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since taking the role and even skipped his own father’s funeral. The leadership absence comes amid a tense military and diplomatic standoff, underscoring leadership uncertainty as Tehran navigates regional tensions.
Iran’s unseen Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has become a political weapon in a widening intra-regime power struggle, with competing claims about President Masoud Pezeshkian’s relationship to the leader. Reports from Iran International describe conflicting narratives—one suggesting plans to resign and another that Pezeshkian met with Mojtaba—while experts say a leadership vacuum is fueling infighting among Islamist factions that weaponize Khamenei’s name to justify moves and constrain rivals. The claims have not been independently verified, and Mojtaba Khamenei’s public absence adds to the uncertainty about who really controls the regime.
Exclusive reporting says Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for only a few minutes in the back seat of a dark Tehran car, unable to see his counterpart and unsure if the voice belonged to Khamenei; the encounter, secured through pressure after Pezeshkian threatened to resign, contradicts his public account of a longer meeting and underscores Tehran's opaque leadership amid ongoing US-Iran diplomacy.
Iran’s 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, named successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has not appeared publicly since the war began and is not expected to attend his father’s funeral after sustaining severe injuries from the strike that killed him; the full extent of his injuries remains unclear. The elder Khamenei’s funeral began with a viewing by top officials and is expected to draw millions, as Iran warns the US and Israel against attacks.
A former Iranian negotiator, Mahmoud Nabavian, claims to have seen secret correspondence from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that allegedly overruled or constrained the government’s negotiating team. The interview on state TV was cut short, and Nabavian faces potential legal action, amid broader tensions between hardliners and centrists. Nabavian’s account describes 11 conditions for continuing talks, including compensation from the US, retaining uranium enrichment rights, sanctions relief, releasing frozen assets, and control over the Hormuz Strait. The episode suggests the supreme leader is taking a hands-on approach to negotiations, with the broadcaster resigning staff and officials disputing the claims as old or illegal.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to protect the country's nuclear and missile capabilities during a state-organised rally in Tehran, signaling resolve amid regional tensions.
Reuters, citing three insiders close to Iran’s inner circle, reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s newly named supreme leader, suffered severe facial and leg injuries in the February airstrike that killed his father. Although disfigured, he is said to be directing major decisions via audio meetings, but public appearance and his overall grip on power remain uncertain amid high-stakes Iran-US talks; no official confirmation has been issued.
Trump said the U.S. is negotiating with Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (not the supreme leader) and that a decision will come in about a week; Ghalibaf denied talks, while Trump described Iran as having a 'new set of people' running a more reasonable regime, according to reporting cited in the piece.
Reuters reports that Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s newly named Supreme Leader, is wounded and likely disfigured, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, raising questions about his ability to govern amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iran says the injuries are light, but the conflict has intensified: the U.S. has struck thousands of Iran targets, roughly 2,000 Iranians have been killed, and Washington is deploying additional forces including ships and Marines to the region as both sides incur casualties.
Iranians react with doubt to Mojtaba Khamenei's first official message read on state TV, raising questions about who runs the country, while the regime reiterates hard-line aims—blocking the Strait of Hormuz and seeking revenge for casualties—as protests and pro-regime rallies unfold amid ongoing conflict; the leader has yet to be seen in person.
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s newly named supreme leader, is reportedly wounded—fractured foot, facial injuries and bruising—during the opening wave of US-Israeli airstrikes; Iranian officials cited by The New York Times and other outlets provide varying accounts, with the leader still not seen publicly and the full extent of his injuries unclear, amid reports the attack on Tehran also killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
CNN reports that Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei suffered a fractured foot and facial injuries on the first day of the US-Israel bombardment campaign, with earlier reports indicating an assassination attempt and limited public appearances tied to his injuries.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader following his father’s death in US-Israeli strikes. Seen as a move to ensure continuity and a hardline stance, the decision has backing from the IRGC and Iran’s security establishment. Reactions abroad were mixed: Oman and Iraq offered congratulations; the US’s Donald Trump criticized the choice; Israel condemned it as a continuation of the regime’s brutality; Russia pledged unwavering support, China cited sovereignty, and Yemen’s Houthis welcomed the appointment, all against the backdrop of the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran and Tehran’s broader crisis.