Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts unclear as Iran’s new supreme leader remains unseen

Mojtaba Khamenei assumed a top position in Iran following a U.S.-Israeli airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reportedly wounded him and his wife Zahra Haddad Adel. Since then he has released more than a dozen written messages, warning the United States of “unforgettable lessons,” but he has not been seen in public. President Masoud Pezeshkian was escorted to a concealed location in Tehran where a man identified as Khamenei spoke to him from the back seat of a dark, tinted vehicle, with no visual contact.

Iranian officials confirm he was injured, while Israeli media suggest he is in critical condition, though no independent confirmation of his health or survival is available. The latest written statement was read on state television shortly after Tehran announced the suspension of an interim nuclear agreement, as both sides continue striking military and infrastructure targets. Senior figures such as chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi are now prominent in shaping Iran’s post-conflict direction.