TEHRAN, March 11, 2026 — Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, suffered injuries during the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father on Feb. 28, according to a senior Israeli official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The claim, based on Israeli intelligence assessments, adds to the deepening mystery surrounding the 56-year-old cleric, who has not been seen or heard from since being named successor to his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, three days ago .
The Israeli official told Reuters that intelligence indicated Mojtaba Khamenei sustained “minor wounds” during the joint aerial operation that decapitated Iran’s leadership in the heart of Tehran. The strikes also killed his mother, his wife, a son-in-law, and several senior Iranian military commanders, according to multiple sources .
Conflicting Accounts and a ‘Wounded Veteran’
The new leader’s health has become a subject of intense speculation, with starkly conflicting narratives emerging.
The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials and two Israeli military sources, reported that Mojtaba Khamenei suffered leg injuries during the Feb. 28 bombing of a leadership compound . The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he is “alert” but sheltering in a “highly secure location with limited communication” to prevent his location from being detected .
The report noted that Israeli defense establishment had concluded he suffered leg injuries even before he was selected as supreme leader on Sunday .
Adding weight to the injury claims, Iranian state television and the official IRNA news agency have referred to the new leader as the “wounded war veteran” supreme leader . A statement from the powerful government charity Komiteh Emdad congratulating Khamenei used the Persian term “janbaz jang” —the formal designation for a veteran wounded in war .
Tehran Denies: ‘Safe and Sound’
However, Iranian officials have pushed back forcefully against the narrative of an incapacitated leader.
Yousef Pezeshkian, son of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and a government adviser, posted on his Telegram channel Wednesday that he had personally inquired about the new leader’s condition.
“I heard news that Agha Mojtaba was injured. I asked friends who had contact with him. They said he is in good health and there is no problem,” Pezeshkian wrote .
Other outlets affiliated with the Iranian government have insisted the leader is “safe and sound” .
When pressed by local media on whether Khamenei had formally assumed his role as commander-in-chief, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei offered a cryptic response: “Those who have to receive the message have received the message” .
A Vacuum at the Top
The lack of clarity over Khamenei’s condition comes at a perilous moment for the Islamic Republic. As the conflict with the U.S. and Israel enters its 12th day, Tehran faces unprecedented military pressure, including the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and daily airstrikes on critical infrastructure .
Government supporters have held “pledging alliance” ceremonies in town squares across the country, waving flags and holding photographs of the new leader, who remains unseen . A giant mural has been installed in Tehran depicting his late father handing him the flag of Iran .
Khamenei, who has deep ties to the Revolutionary Guard, has long operated as a power broker in the shadows, coordinating security and military affairs from his father’s office. But little is known about his political vision or how he intends to steer a country at war .
The Succession and the Strike
The Feb. 28 strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who had led Iran for 37 years—also eliminated much of the regime’s top echelon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the time that there were “growing signs this dictator is gone” and called on Iranians to overthrow the government .
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz later warned on social media that any successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be a target . On Friday, when Mojtaba Khamenei emerged as the front-runner for succession, Israeli fighter jets dropped bunker-busting bombs on the remaining structure of the supreme leader’s office and living compound, reducing it to rubble, satellite photographs showed . Iranian officials said they believed the target was Mojtaba Khamenei, but that he was not there at the time .
U.S. President Donald Trump declined to address whether the U.S. planned to try to kill the new leader, saying only that he was “not happy” with his ascent .
What Happens Next
The question of when—or if—Mojtaba Khamenei will address the nation remains unanswered. Iranian media had earlier reported he would speak on March 9, but no address materialized .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already sent a congratulatory message to the new leader, expressing confidence that he would “continue to carry out his father’s work with dignity” .
For now, the new Supreme Leader of Iran remains a ghost at the helm of a state at war—injured, hidden, and silent.
