Particle.news
Download on the App Store
37 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

Tehran Releases Undated Video as Questions Persist Over Mojtaba Khamenei’s Health

The footage was published to rebut reports that the supreme leader is critically ill but leaves verification and access to him unclear.

Image
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position of Supreme Leader shortly after his father was killed in joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, August 8, 2026. Iran's Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL. NO ACCESS FOR ISRAELI MEDIA. NO USE BBC PERSIAN. NO USE VOA PERSIAN. NO USE MANOTO. NO USE IRAN INTERNATIONAL. NO USE RADIO FARDA. DIGITAL: NO USE BBC PERSIAN. NO USE VOA PERSIAN. NO USE MANOTO. NO USE IRAN INTERNATIONAL. NO USE RADIO FARDA. ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL
Women stand in front of a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on the day of a public farewell ceremony to pay their respects to late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, in Tehran, Iran July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Overview

  • Reports from IranWire and several regional outlets say rumours have circulated among senior officials that Mojtaba Khamenei is in extremely critical condition and could die soon.
  • Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency published a short, undated clip showing Khamenei appearing well, but the video’s timing and provenance cannot be independently verified.
  • President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly said direct communication with the supreme leader is “very difficult,” and IranWire reported that no cabinet ministers have met Khamenei since the Feb. 28 attack that killed his father.
  • Accounts of Khamenei’s injuries differ sharply with Western and opposition reports describing serious facial and leg wounds and state officials calling earlier injuries superficial, creating a stark verification gap.
  • The opaque situation matters for Iran’s decision making because the supreme leader controls the armed forces and security organs so constrained access raises risks of internal friction and uncertain responses on issues such as Strait of Hormuz arrangements and regional diplomacy.