TEHRAN, March 11: Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly wounded in the legs during the opening wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to a report by The New York Times, citing Israeli and Iranian officials.
Khamenei, 56, was named supreme leader on Sunday following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the conflict when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets.
Officials quoted in the report said Mojtaba Khamenei was injured during the same attacks, including wounds to his legs. The injuries may explain why he has not appeared publicly or released a video message since his appointment as the new head of state.
More than 48 hours after being selected, he had still not made a public statement or appeared before the media. The publication also said that Iranian officials feared he could become a target if he communicated publicly.
Earlier Iranian reports had suggested he had been wounded, with some state-linked outlets describing him as a “janbaz” (Persian for someone injured in battle by the enemy).
It remains unclear whether the injuries have affected his ability to perform the duties of Iran’s highest political and religious office.
On Wednesday, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian, said Mojtaba was safe but did not directly deny reports he had been injured.
“I heard news that Mr Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured,” Pezeshkian wrote on Telegram. “I asked friends who had connections and they told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.”
Although Mojtaba Khamenei has long been an influential figure in Iranian politics, he is noted to be a shadowy figure who was managing much of his father’s office and political network from behind the scenes, making him an obscure and relatively little-known figure to many Iranians.
As per NYT sources, Iran’s powerful theocratic paramilitary group, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) strongly backed his appointment, viewing him as a leader likely to support the organisation’s hardline positions.
Those sources said the Guard moved quickly to secure his nomination despite objections from some clerical and political figures, whose concerns briefly delayed the official announcement.
The IRGC’s influence within Iran’s political system – which was already massive – is now noted to have expanded even further since the war began, giving them an even greater share in the Islamic Republic’s power structure.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, warned last week that any Iranian leader pursuing policies that were hostile to Israel would constitute a legitimate target.
“Any leader appointed by the Iranian regime to continue leading the plan to destroy Israel, threaten the United States and the free world, and oppress the Iranian people will be an unequivocal target for elimination,” Katz said.
“It does not matter what his name is or where he hides.” (UNI)
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