Kumar Bahukhandi
Image Caption: A portrait of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is displayed near a tent used by Iranian pilgrims. Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP
Iranian Supreme Leader has remained largely out of public view since taking office; latest claims from Israeli media have not been independently confirmed
Tel Aviv: Fresh uncertainty surrounds the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei after Israeli media reports claimed that his condition had deteriorated significantly and that he had been taken to hospital.
The latest reports, attributed to sources inside Iran, describe Khamenei’s condition as “extremely critical”. Similar claims have appeared in several media reports, although there has been no independent confirmation from Iranian authorities about either his hospitalisation or his present medical condition.
Khamenei succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following the latter’s death in US-Israeli strikes earlier this year. Since assuming Iran’s highest office, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained largely absent from public view, with the lack of regular live appearances contributing to persistent speculation about his health.
Reports following the February strikes had suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei himself suffered serious injuries. Accounts cited by international media said he underwent several surgical procedures and sustained injuries to his limbs as well as burns to his face that affected his ability to speak. Iranian accounts, however, have disputed some of the more serious claims surrounding his condition.
Questions over his health have intensified because he has made no conventional public appearance since becoming Supreme Leader. Statements attributed to him have instead been communicated through official channels.
However, some earlier reports complicate suggestions that Khamenei has been completely isolated. In May, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly said he had met Khamenei in person for approximately two-and-a-half hours and described their conversation as direct and cordial. No photographs or video of that meeting were released.
The latest reports of hospitalisation therefore remain significant but unverified. Until Tehran issues an official medical update or Khamenei appears publicly, claims about the severity of his condition are likely to remain difficult to establish independently.
Any prolonged incapacity of the Supreme Leader could have major political consequences for Iran, particularly at a time when the country continues to face military, economic and diplomatic pressures.
