After a U.S. and Israeli strike killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his second son, Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei (56), was selected as the new supreme leader. Three days after his appointment, Mojtaba has not appeared in public, prompting growing concern about his status. Iranian officials say he was wounded in the initial U.S.-Israel strike in the war against Iran and is now in hiding.
The New York Times reported on March 11 that the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israel strike that killed Khamenei also killed Mojtaba’s mother, his wife and one of his sons. U.S. and Israeli strikes, the report said, wounded Mojtaba and forced him into secure concealment. Officials say his absence from public events and cameras is driven by both security concerns and injuries.
Three Iranian officials speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters they were briefed by senior government figures that Mojtaba sustained injuries to his leg and other wounds but remains conscious. They said he is sheltering in a high-security facility with severely limited communications. Israeli military officials have separately assessed that he likely suffered a leg injury on Feb. 28.
In a separate confirmation, a senior Iranian source said Mojtaba is alive. AFR reported that Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian and a government adviser, posted on Telegram that after hearing reports of Mojtaba’s injuries he queried contacts within relevant networks and was told, “By God’s grace, he is safe and well.”
State-linked Iranian outlets also used language implying Mojtaba was wounded. Several government media described him as a “wounded veteran.” The government-affiliated religious charity Komiteh Emdad, in a congratulatory statement marking his elevation, referred to him as “Janbaz jang,” the Persian term for a veteran wounded in combat.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Katz warned that any successor to Khamenei would be a potential target. Former U.S. President Donald Trump singled out Mojtaba as well, saying, “I don’t believe he can live in peace,” while leaving the possibility of talks with him on the table.
