Reuters Sources Say Iran’s New Supreme Leader Badly Injured, Governing by Audio
Secrecy over his condition puts the Revolutionary Guard’s growing sway in sharper focus during new U.S.–Iran talks in Islamabad.
Overview
- Anonymous sources cited by Reuters report Mojtaba Khamenei suffered severe facial disfigurement and major leg injuries in the strike that killed his father, yet he remains lucid and joins high-level meetings by audio.
- No photo, video, or audio of the 56-year-old leader has been released, his location is undisclosed, and Iranian officials have not detailed his condition or explained his absence from public view.
- A state TV presenter referred to him as a janbaz, a term in Iran for someone gravely wounded in war, which supporters use to justify keeping him out of sight for security and recovery.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in March that Khamenei was injured and likely disfigured, and a Reuters source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments said he may have lost a leg, though none of this has been independently verified.
- Analysts say he has yet to consolidate his father’s authority, and they note the Revolutionary Guard’s central role in wartime decisions as reports indicate he is also involved in U.S.–Iran negotiations now underway in Islamabad.