Iranian government sources and Israeli officials said Iran’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured on the first day of Iran’s attacks on Israel and the United States in late February, although his condition has not been fully explained, according to the New York Times.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was appointed Iran’s supreme leader three days ago after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a command center in Tehran.
An Iranian government source speaking on condition of anonymity said Khamenei was wounded in the legs during the February 28 attack, but was still conscious and in a high-security facility with restricted access.
Israeli military officials also said that information they had received indicated that the new leader was injured that day, even before he was officially announced as his successor.
Since being named Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public, has not given a speech or written statement. Sources close to the Iranian government say this is part of an effort to conceal his whereabouts to protect him from potential assassination attempts.
Iranian state media and the IRNA news agency have repeatedly referred to the new leader as a “wounded war veteran,” while a government-affiliated charity has congratulated him on his new position, calling him a “janbaz jang,” Persian for a wounded soldier.
The February 28 drone strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also reportedly killed his wife, one of his sons, and senior Iranian military officers. Meanwhile, Israel has said that anyone who replaces Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be a military assassin. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post on social media that Iran’s new leader could be a “potential threat.”
US President Donald Trump said he was not happy with Mojtaba Khamenei taking over as Iran’s leader, but it was unclear whether Washington was planning military action against him.
