New footage shows Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei speaking amid health rumors

Iran's Fars News provided archival material that shows Mojtaba Khamenei surrounded by a group offering prayers before he leads a religious-academic discussion, marking the first video where his voice is audible. The recording was disseminated by Mehr, a semi-official news service under the Islamic Development Organisation, apparently to quell growing doubts about his wellbeing. Israeli media, including Channel 14 and one outlet, had reported that Khamenei was in an "extremely critical" condition, citing unnamed sources.

Iranian officials rejected those claims; President Masoud Pezeshkian told ISNA that Khamenei was "completely healthy" and able to sit through a seven-hour discussion. The video, undated but released in August, follows earlier statements that Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after the latter's death in a joint US-Israeli strike, has largely stayed out of the public eye.