The Islamic Republic is using injuries sustained by Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, to “turn him into a hero,” an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) said on Wednesday.
Mojtaba, the second-eldest son of slain former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, sustained light injuries in previous Israeli strikes but is capable of functioning as supreme leader, two sources familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post.
Details of his injury were first published by The Jerusalem Post and later confirmed by several sources speaking to various media outlets. Iranian officials told the New York Times that the new supreme leader was suffering from injuries to his legs. At the same time, CNN reported that Khamenei was hurt on the first day of Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury and is “suffering from a fractured foot, bruising around his left eye, and cuts on his face.”
INSS’s Beni Sabti said that the injuries sustained by the new supreme leader could help cultivate a certain aura around him.
“There is already an aura attached to him, and he is now considered a ‘Ramadan war veteran,’ meaning the current war,” Sabti said. “They are trying to promote his image and turn him into a hero who was on the front lines from the very first moment of the war.”
Mojtaba Khamenei absent from the public eye, sources say
Khamenei has not appeared in public and has not issued any statements since the Assembly of Experts announced his appointment on Sunday night, following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the IDF’s opening strike on February 28.
In the same attack, his mother, sister, and wife were also killed, according to Iranian state television.
Mojtaba grew up in the shadow of the Iran–Iraq War and reportedly even took part in the conflict. Since the 1990s, he has been deeply involved in the corridors of power, and his influence has extended into almost every sphere of the state - from appointments in the media to the management of universities.
The US Treasury Department previously imposed sanctions on him, stating that “Mojtaba Khamenei represents the Supreme Leader despite never having been elected or appointed to any government position, aside from his work in his father’s office.”
There are also reports that he was responsible for suppressing the 2009 Green Movement protests against the regime.
Mojtaba Khamenei may not actually be running Iran, the expert argued.
The fact that Mojtaba has not appeared publicly has raised questions about the extent of his control over the country. Some believe this does not indicate weakness but rather reflects an Iranian interest in protecting him.
However, Sabti argues that his absence from public view suggests he is not truly in charge.
“I don’t think he is actually running Iran,” Sabti said. “I believe the senior officials who remained from his father’s era are managing the country.”
Sabti added that even Khamenei’s voice has not been heard so far, which, in his view, confirms that he is not functioning as leader.
“If that is the case, it does not bode well for him.”