Iran’s new supreme leader has severe and disfiguring wounds – Reuters
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries suffered in the airstrike that killed his father at the start of the war, three people close to his inner circle told Reuters. His face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran, and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, all three sources said.
The 56-year-old is nonetheless recovering and remains mentally sharp, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Two said he is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is involved in decision-making on major issues including the war.
His whereabouts, condition and ability to rule remain largely a mystery to the public, with no photo, video or audio released since the air attack and his appointment as his father’s replacement on March 8. He was wounded on February 28, the first day of the war launched by the U.S. and Israel, in the strike that killed his father and predecessor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled since 1989. His wife, brother-in-law and sister-in-law were also killed.
There has been no official Iranian statement on the extent of his injuries. A state TV newsreader described him as a “janbaz”, a term for those badly wounded in war, after he was named supreme leader. The accounts align with a March 13 statement by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured.” A source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments said he was believed to have lost a leg.
