Is Mojtaba Khamenei Dead? Iranian Prez Shoots Down Death Rumours of New Supreme Leader

Is newly-appointed Supreme Leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei dead? Rumours have been doing rounds ever since the reports emerged that he was injured during the ongoing Iran Israel and the US war.

Clearing the speculations, the office of the Iranian President has said that the new Supreme Leader of Iran is "safe and sound."

The clarification came on Wednesday from Yousef Pezeshkian, son of President Masoud Pezeshkian and a government adviser. In a post on his Telegram channel, Mr. Pezeshkian addressed the rumours directly. "I heard news that Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound," he wrote.

Earlier report in the Iranian state television had referred to the new leader as a "wounded veteran of the Ramadan war," without offering specific details on the nature or severity of his condition. A subsequent report on Monday reiterated this, calling him "Jaanbaz of Ramadan," a Persian term for a war veteran injured during service.

International media, citing sources familiar with the matter, have suggested that new Supreme Leader was indeed wounded during the recent conflict with Israel and the United States. However, these same assessments claim he remains capable of executing his duties and steering the state's affairs.

Despite official statements, there have been speculations of his death as no contemporary photographs or video footage of Mojtaba Khamenei have been released by official channels. Notably, the state broadcasters have relied on old archival footage and, in some instances, employed AI-generated imagery to introduce the new leader to the public, a move intended to project stability within the chain of command.

This had paved way for his death rumours.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of long-time Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has long been considered a powerful backroom operator within Iran's political and security apparatus, despite never holding a formal government post for many years.