Amid Conflicting Information, Iran Affirms Mojtaba Khamenei's Pristine Condition

Various reports and official statements from the Iranian government have sparked confusion regarding the health condition and role of the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to appear in public. According to the latest US report, drawing on intelligence sources, as reported by Al Arabiya on Monday (11/5/2026), Mojtaba, who has been in office since 8 March, is alive and actively participating in formulating war strategies. The report also corroborates earlier information about Mojtaba continuing to receive medical treatment for serious burns on his body, resulting from a US-Israel airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the US report, Mojtaba remains involved in negotiations with the US to end the ongoing war. The report states that Mojtaba does not use electronic devices and communicates only with a small number of people, either through limited direct access or intermediaries. However, another source indicated that Mojtaba is relatively detached from the decision-making process and can only be contacted periodically. This has led senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to manage daily operations alongside Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baghir Ghalibaf. Separately, Ali Vaez, Director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, stated that the new Iranian leader’s role primarily involves approving and confirming the most final major decisions. This role should not extend to managing negotiation details. This procedure essentially serves as “protection” for Iranian negotiators against internal criticism. Despite the various reports emerging, the head of protocol for the Supreme Leader’s office, Mozaher Hosseini, stated on Friday (8/5) that Mojtaba is in “pristine health condition”. He emphasised that Mojtaba only sustained “minor injuries” to his leg and lower back, as well as being hit by “small bullet fragments behind his ear”. “The enemy is spreading all sorts of rumours and false claims. They want to meet and find him, but people must be patient and not rush. He will speak to you when the time is right,” Hosseini asserted while addressing a crowd of residents in Tehran, Iran’s capital.