Iran releases new video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid reports of critical health

As uncertainty continues over Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts, the Iranian media has released a short and undated video of the Supreme Leader that showed him in good health and discussing the Middle East nation’s strategy amid the ongoing conflict with the United States (US).

The 12-second video was released by Iran’s Mehr news agency that showed Khamenei holding discussions with his advisors and officials. “Watch a new video of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei for the first time,” it said in a brief statement, while sharing the video on its website.

The video comes as multiple Israeli media report claimed that Mojtaba is in an “extremely critical condition” and has been hospitalised. A report by Jerusalem Post even claimed that Mojtaba, who became the Supreme Leader after his predecessor and father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28, could pass away in a few days.

“We would not be surprised if we heard news of his martyrdom soon,” the Jerusalem Post said in a post.

Interestingly, President Donald Trump has claimed on multiple occasions that Khamenei’s health remains critical. The 56-year-old Supreme Leader has not even appeared before the public even once since the US-Iran war began earlier this year. He even skipped the funeral of his father even as his three brothers attended it, which further fueled the speculations. 

And recently, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian also claimed that communicating with Khamenei has become “very difficult at the moment”. “It is very difficult to communicate with him at the moment, but in any case, his presence is a very great source of strength for us so that we can continue,” Pezeshkian said, according to AFP.

According to a report by Iran International, Pezeshkian met Khamenei once after the conflict began in an undisclosed location in Tehran. The meeting took place in a “dark, tinted-window car” and Pezeshkian could not even see Khamenei. 

The report, citing sources, said Pezeshkian interacted with a man who claimed he was Khamenei. However, he was not entirely convinced with that and asked the man if he was really Khamenei. He later sought another meeting with Khamenei, but that request was rejected by Supreme Leader’s office.

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