Iran’s fresh supreme leader reportedly traveled to Moscow for a leg operation, a gesture extended personally by Putin following injuries sustained during airstrikes. Mojtaba Khamenei was allegedly hurt in the initial US-Israeli attacks on Tehran on February 28. Concerns arose after President Trump suggested Khamenei’s possible demise, citing his absence since assuming office.
Khamenei is said to have undergone a successful surgery at one of Putin’s presidential residences after being airlifted out of Iran. Although unconfirmed, reports from Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida suggest the secretive procedure took place in Moscow with the assistance of a high-level source close to the new Iranian Supreme Leader.
Due to the gravity of his injuries, Khamenei was reportedly treated at a specialized facility following Putin’s proposal to manage his medical care during a phone call. Speculations on Khamenei’s health have been rife, with Israeli intelligence indicating he was wounded in the initial conflict, which also claimed the lives of family members, including his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Amidst ongoing concerns, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reassured the public that Khamenei is in good health and actively leading the situation. The younger Khamenei, in a statement following his father’s demise, vowed to avenge the deaths of Iranian leaders by the US and Israel, promising retaliation for every Iranian casualty in the conflict.
He also pledged to continue assaults on Gulf Arab nations and exploit the strategic significance of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the US and Israel.