Speculation has intensified over the condition of Mojtaba Khamenei following reports that he may have been critically wounded in an Israeli airstrike that allegedly killed his father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Unverified claims circulating in regional media suggested that the 56-year-old leader was secretly flown out of Iran to Russia for emergency medical treatment after being injured in the strike. Some reports, citing Iranian sources, alleged that he was transported to Moscow on a Russian military aircraft and treated at a clinic within one of the presidential residences linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to a source quoted by Kuwaiti outlet Al-Jarida, the transfer was carried out as a “highly secret operation” due to both health and security concerns surrounding the new Iranian leader. The source further claimed that surgery performed in Russia had been successful, though no independent evidence has confirmed the account.
When asked about the reports on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to verify or dismiss them, saying Moscow does not comment on such claims.
The uncertainty has also been fueled by comments from Donald Trump, who questioned whether Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive. In an interview with NBC News, Trump said that no proof of the leader’s condition had been publicly shown since the start of the Israeli operation known as Operation Epic Fury.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed last week that the Iranian leader had been wounded and could be severely injured.
Iranian officials have rejected the speculation. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign affairs minister, said the country’s leader is in “complete health” and continues to oversee the national response to the ongoing conflict. His statement was published by Iranian state media outlet ISNA, though no evidence was provided to support the claim.
Araghchi also stated that Iran is prepared to establish a joint investigative committee with regional countries to examine recent military strikes and determine which locations were targeted.
According to the minister, Iran’s military operations have focused solely on U.S. bases and interests in the region, adding that no civilian or residential areas in neighbouring countries have been deliberately targeted.
