Mojtaba Khamenei Reportedly Flown to Russia for Surgery
Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly been secretly airlifted to Russia following injuries sustained in a combined attack by the United States and Israel on 28 February.
The covert evacuation, according to Metro.co.uk on Monday 16 March 2026, was undertaken to allow the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to undergo foot surgery to save his life. The operation was reportedly conducted at a presidential palace belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Amidst speculation about his condition, Mojtaba recently released an angry statement demanding retaliation against the US and Israel.
A report from Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida stated that Mojtaba had been evacuated from a bunker struck by the US-Israeli attack, which killed his father Khamenei, followed by his mother, wife and young son.
According to Al-Jarida, Mojtaba was subsequently “smuggled” out of Iran to undergo secret surgery in Russia.
During the covert evacuation, the new Iranian leader was flown to Moscow aboard a Russian military aircraft. Mojtaba was transported out of Iran in severe condition.
Upon arrival in Moscow, according to Al-Jarida’s report, Mojtaba underwent a “successful” operation at one of Putin’s presidential palaces.
Various reports describe Mojtaba’s condition differently, ranging from a fractured leg and facial lacerations to the loss of one leg and a comatose state.
Al-Jarida stated that the unverified information came from “sources close to the office of Iran’s new Supreme Leader”. Tehran has not directly responded to the media reports.
Iranian authorities have stated that Mojtaba remains alive, following US President Donald Trump’s claims that he had heard information suggesting the new Iranian Supreme Leader was deceased.
“The Leader of the Revolution is in good health and fully monitoring the situation,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Mojtaba was selected to replace his late father, Khamenei, as Iran’s Supreme Leader from 1 March onwards. Khamenei was killed in the initial US-Israeli attack on 28 February.
However, to date, Mojtaba has not appeared directly before the Iranian public, nor has he appeared on camera to deliver his first statement on Thursday 12 March last week.
Mojtaba’s first statement was delivered in written form, read by an Iranian state television presenter. In his statement, Mojtaba pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and called on Iran’s neighbouring states to shut down US military bases in their territory or risk becoming targets of Tehran’s attacks.
“I assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of the martyrs,” he stated.