Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, suffered a fractured foot and minor injuries in an airstrike during the US and Israel’s bombardment campaign on his first day as supreme leader. The injury was confirmed by Iran’s ambassador to Cyprus, Alireza Salarian, who also revealed that Khamenei was injured in the same airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with five other family members.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since his appointment and is reportedly “not comfortable” to give a speech due to his injuries. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s son Yousef denied any concerns about the new supreme leader’s well-being, but AI-generated images have filled in gaps of footage with Khamenei in various state media releases.
The 56-year-old is a close associate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and economic elite, and observers believe he is just as hard-line as his father was. The US and Israel’s actions have sparked concerns that military pressure will not sway Iran’s position, with many protesters having chanted for Khamenei’s death in 2009 elections.
The new supreme leader had previously faced scrutiny from US officials and was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2019 for allegedly working closely with the IRGC. US President Donald Trump has expressed disapproval of Khamenei, calling him an “unacceptable” choice.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/11/middleeast/mojtaba-khamenei-injuries-iran-supreme-leader-latam-intl