Iran released a rare video claimed to show 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei appearing healthy after months away from public view, but the footage was not dated and its timing remains unverified. International reports say he suffered serious facial and leg injuries in a Feb. 28 strike that killed his father, raising doubts about whether the clip predates the attack or has been altered. Iranian officials deny his health is failing and promise more footage, including a disputed July meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Rare Video of Mojtaba Khamenei Sparks Doubts Over When It Was Filmed
(AFP via Getty Images)
Iran on Sunday released a rare video that state-linked media say shows 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei appearing healthy after months away from public view, prompting fresh questions about the timing and authenticity of the footage.
What the Footage Shows
The semi-official Mehr News Agency published a clip depicting Mojtaba Khamenei seated among several men and taking part in a discussion. The outlet did not provide a date or location for the recording, and independent verification of when the video was shot was not immediately possible.
Why Timing Matters
Reports from international outlets including the New York Post and Reuters say Mojtaba was seriously injured in a Feb. 28 strike that also killed his father, then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Those accounts describe facial and leg injuries and indicate he had remained out of public view for months. The apparent lack of visible injuries in the newly released clip has led observers to question whether the footage predates the attack or has been altered.
Conflicting Accounts
Sources close to Mojtaba told Reuters previously that the strike left his face disfigured and forced him into seclusion, and subsequent reporting raised additional concerns about complications from those wounds. Iranian officials, however, have denied that the supreme leader's health is deteriorating and rejected claims that he serves merely as a figurehead for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Official Response And Follow-Up
Qasem Qoraishi, a deputy commander in Iran's Basij Organization, said additional footage would be released showing the supreme leader in public and meeting with military officials. Officials also said they would publish what they called a July meeting between Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian — a claim that drew scrutiny after Pezeshkian said he had been driven to a secret location and could not see the person he met during a brief encounter.
Context
Iran previously circulated AI-generated images of Mojtaba after rumors that he had been killed in the Feb. 28 strike. The latest video arrives amid ongoing debate among international media and analysts over the leader's condition and the credibility of state-released materials.
Reporting: New York Post, Reuters, Mehr News Agency.
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