New Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei injured; state media confirms

TEHRAN: Mojtaba Khamenei, who was recently named the new Supreme Leader of Iran, has reportedly been injured during the ongoing conflict. Iranian state television confirmed the news just as he was about to formally assume the position.

Mojtaba was declared the Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint attack by the United States and Israel. Iranian state TV referred to Mojtaba Khamenei as a “Jaanbaz” of the Ramadan war, a term used for those who are injured by enemies during conflict.

However, authorities have not yet released detailed information about his health condition. His father and sister were reportedly killed earlier in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on February 28.

56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei was selected for the post by an 88-member Assembly of religious scholars. His leadership has also been accepted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Mojtaba has received the necessary guidance and training from his father and is capable of handling the current crisis.