Iran’s 56-year-old supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was injured during a US-led airstrike attack on his residence in Tehran, which also killed six of his family members. Ambassador Alireza Salarian confirmed that Khamenei is in the hospital and not comfortable giving speeches due to his injuries. The ambassador attributed Khamenei’s absence from public view to fear of an assassination attempt by the US and Israel.
Salarian also criticized US President Donald Trump for calling Khamenei’s election by an 88-member committee of clerics “an unacceptable choice” and warned that Israel would target Khamenei if it becomes president. The ambassador praised the administrations of Joe Biden and Barack Obama, saying they adhered to the rule of law.
Iran denies developing a nuclear bomb, with the late supreme leader himself announcing that using nuclear weapons is forbidden under Iran’s religious code. Salarian attributed the recent strikes on Iranian-made drones in Cyprus to Israel, claiming the island’s military bases were not involved in the attack.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/11/mojtaba-khamenei-was-hurt-in-strike-that-killed-his-father-irans-cyprus-ambassador-confirms