Escape or Treatment? Confusion Over Reports of Mojtaba Khamenei in Russia
Rumours regarding the health condition of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, are growing increasingly wild after reports that he was secretly rushed to Russia for emergency medical surgery. However, these claims have been strongly refuted by Iranian authorities as part of an enemy psychological warfare strategy.
Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, emphasised that reports of Mojtaba Khamenei’s relocation to Moscow are false information. Jalali compared these rumours to the fake news that frequently targeted the late Ali Khamenei in the past.
“Reports that the Supreme Leader has been moved to Russia for medical treatment represent a new form of psychological warfare,” Jalali stated. He stressed that Iran’s leaders remain among the people and do not hide in bunkers, even as US-Israeli airstrikes continue to hit their security infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump has further fuelled public doubt by stating that his administration is unsure who currently holds power in Iran. Trump claimed to have received conflicting reports about Mojtaba Khamenei’s physical condition.
“We don’t know who their leader is. Some say he’s severely injured, lost a leg, or even that he’s dead. No one can confirm he’s healthy,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday local time.
Claims of stability in Iran’s leadership are increasingly doubted following Israel’s confirmation of a successful airstrike that killed Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Larijani was the highest-ranking official killed since Operation Epic Fury began.
In addition to Larijani, the strike also killed Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the elimination of these key figures represents a severe blow to Iran’s ability to coordinate military and domestic security activities.
To date, the international community is still awaiting physical evidence of Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts to ascertain the direction of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s leadership amid escalating regional conflict.