Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public and his voice has not been heard so far as most of his messages amid the war with the United States come in writing. This, according to several reports, has been a result of the injuries that he endured during the first day of war on February 28, in which his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike by the United States of America.
While Iran has so far not revealed details on Mojtaba’s health and the extent of the seriousness of his injuries, a report by the New York Times indicates that even though he is “gravely wounded”, he is still “mentally sharp and engaged”, according to four senior Iranian officials familiar with Mojtaba’s health.
They added that the new Supreme Leader is in need of a prosthetic as one of his legs has been operated upon three times. One of his hands was also operated upon and it is not regaining function slowly, the report said.
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Giving more details on where Mojtaba sustained injuries, the report cited officials as saying that he suffered severe burn injuries on his face and lips due to which, he has not been facing difficulty speaking and will eventually need a plastic surgery.
Limited access to Mojtaba Khamenei
{{/usCountry}}Giving more details on where Mojtaba sustained injuries, the report cited officials as saying that he suffered severe burn injuries on his face and lips due to which, he has not been facing difficulty speaking and will eventually need a plastic surgery.
Limited access to Mojtaba Khamenei
{{/usCountry}}In order to not disclose Mojtaba Khamenei’s location, access to him has reportedly been quite limited as he is mostly surrounded by doctors and healthcare professionals.
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The report said that senior commanders of the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps and senior officials of the Iranian government do not visit him, fearing that his location might get traced by Israel.
However, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is a heart surgeon himself, and Iran’s minister of health have been involved in Mojtaba’s care.
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The report also cited the officials as saying that Mojtaba has not appeared in front of a camera or a microphone in fear of not appearing weak in his first public address.
They also shared how Mojtaba is being communicated with, saying that messages are written to him and delivered by a human chain of trusted couriers, who travel on highways, backroads, in cars or motorcycles to reach where the supreme leader is. His response is also reportedly carried the same way.
The war between the United States and Iran is on hold for now, as both sides have agreed to a temporary ceasefire until a sustainable solution can be found. After the first round of Pakistan-brokered talks which led to a stalemate, a second round is anticipated with US President Donald Trump hinting that it could be possible later this week.