Iranian state television has confirmed that the country’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured during the ongoing conflict.
According to The Times of Israel, Iranian state TV mentioned Mojtaba Khamenei’s injuries while reporting on his appointment as Iran’s new Supreme Leader.
News anchors described Mojtaba as a “janbaz,” a Persian term referring to someone wounded by an adversary, during what Iranian media call the “Ramadan War,” their term for the current conflict.
The broadcast did not provide further details about the nature or severity of his injuries. However, both Mojtaba’s father and his wife were killed during U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran on February 28, when the war began.
On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s Supreme Leader, officially named Mojtaba Khamenei as the new head of the Islamic Republic.
The decision makes him the third Supreme Leader of the Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic and marks the first time in the country’s history that a son has succeeded his father in the position.
Mojtaba Khamenei is the second son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who held the role for nearly four decades before being killed in the U.S.–Israeli airstrikes late last month.
Born in 1969, Mojtaba Khamenei received religious training similar to that of his brothers. However, he has never formally reached the rank of mujtahid, a high level of scholarly authority in Islamic jurisprudence that many supporters of the Iranian system consider necessary for the position of Supreme Leader.
He is married to Zahra, the daughter of former Iranian parliament speaker Gholam‑Ali Haddad‑Adel, a close ally of Ali Khamenei.
For years, Mojtaba has maintained a relatively low public profile. Nevertheless, behind the scenes he has been regarded as a central figure within the vast political and institutional network built by his father. He developed close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as with powerful economic networks linked to the state.
Observers of Iranian politics have long considered him an influential figure, even without holding a senior official position. In recent years, while working within his father’s office, he was increasingly viewed as a potential successor.
Many analysts believe Mojtaba played a key role in helping hardline politician Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win the 2005 presidential election. He was reportedly involved in mobilizing IRGC networks to support Ahmadinejad’s campaign when he was still the mayor of Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei was sanctioned by the United States in 2019.
His appointment suggests that Iran’s new leadership may continue the legacy and policies of Ali Khamenei.
Unlike many senior political figures, Mojtaba Khamenei has little administrative experience, having never led a major organization or government institution. He has also rarely made public statements on the country’s social, economic, cultural, or political issues.
