Disfigured in Strikes, Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei Awaits Plastic Surgery And Prosthetic Leg; Report Says Now Communicates By Letters

New Delhi: While Iran’s new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains alive and conscious, he is currently bedridden following a series of severe injuries, as per reports. 

Reports indicate that extensive burns to his face and lips have left him incapacitated and he is unable to speak.

Notably, following the death of Ali Khamenei and several family members in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, Mojtaba Khamenei ascended to the role of Supreme leader six weeks later. 

Also, his tenure as Supreme leader has been defined by total silence and absence, as he has not made a single public appearance or broadcast a vocal message since taking charge.

News reports indicate that Mojtaba is currently surrounded by a medical team who are treating the serious injuries he sustained from the recent airstrikes and four senior Iranian officials close to the situation revealed that after three operations on one leg, he is now awaiting a prosthetic, while a previously operated hand is slowly recovering function. 

Furthermore, significant facial burns have impaired his ability to speak, thereby necessitating plastic surgery, as per reports.

The access to the leader is also said to be extremely restricted and it is reported that while senior IRGC commanders and top-tier government officials have noticeably avoided visiting him due to fears of being targeted, President Masoud Pezeshkian- a trained heart surgeon- has taken a personal role in his recovery, overseeing his treatment alongside the health minister.

The report states that Khamenei is in hiding and to maintain security, all correspondence with him is conducted via handwritten letters passed through a series of vetted couriers. These messengers travel covertly by road, ensuring that both inquiries and responses remain entirely off the digital grid. Responses to his messages are returned using this same manual, high-security relay system.

Due to ongoing threats to his safety and the severity of his medical condition, direct access to the leader has become nearly impossible. As a result, critical state authority has been transferred to military leaders to ensure the country remains functional during his recovery.

Reports indicate that Khamenei has lost his centralised grip on power and consequently, the authority has transitioned to a “board of generals” within the IRGC who now direct national strategy and governance.

According to Sanam Vakil of Chatham House, the new leader’s control remains incomplete. She noted that his role currently appears to be symbolic, although he signs official decrees, the actual outcomes are determined before they ever reach him.

In a recent televised address, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Iran’s formal response to the U.S. nuclear proposal was shared with Khamenei, asserting that the leader’s perspectives were integrated into the final decision.

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