Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries sustained in the airstrike that killed his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the war, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people close to his inner circle.
The injuries are described as “severe and disfiguring,” raising questions about Mojtaba Khamenei’s ability to project authority during a critical period of ceasefire negotiations and internal political consolidation.
Leadership under pressure
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the Supreme Leader position after his father was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike — the most consequential strike of the conflict. His earlier public appearance at a Colombo commemoration ceremony projected confidence, with the new leader declaring “final victory.” But the Reuters report suggests the physical toll may be greater than publicly acknowledged.
The revelation adds a new dimension to the ongoing ceasefire dynamics. Iran’s negotiating posture — including preconditions on Lebanon and demands for war compensation before fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz — may be influenced by a leader whose grip on power remains uncertain.
The IRGC has separately faced significant leadership losses, including the killing of intelligence chief Khademi in Tehran.
Iran’s government has not publicly commented on the Reuters report.
