First Official Acknowledgment of the Severity of Mojtaba Khamenei's Injury in the War

SadaNews - A member of Iran's "Leadership Experts" Council, Ahmad Khatami, revealed that the leader Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in his leg on the first days of the American-Israeli war against the country.

Khatami also confirmed, during his meeting with the council members of Sirjan City, that the severity of the injury raised the possibility of amputation before it could be medically saved, according to Iranian media.

These statements are the first official Iranian acknowledgment of the seriousness of Mojtaba's injury from the American-Israeli attack.

This acknowledgment coincides with a complete public absence of the leader since his election in March last as the successor to his father Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on the first day of the American-Israeli war on Iran (February 28).

There is ambiguity regarding his health status and questions about whether he is holding the reins of power in the country. However, indicators are increasing regarding his involvement in governance and decision-making.

In this context, Farzan Sabet, an expert on Iranian affairs at the Geneva Graduate Institute, stated: "It seems that Mojtaba is likely playing a role in supervising the overall direction of policies, including key positions in negotiations with the United States, with the help of his office."

Sabet added: "But it is likely that his personal level of engagement in politics is much lower than that of his father’s due to the security situation and his health condition. He continued: "With the stabilization of the security situation and improvement in his health, I expect him to have a larger role," according to what was reported by AFP.

For his part, Thomas Juneau, a professor at the University of Ottawa, stated that "Mojtaba Khamenei’s role is unclear." He said, "It is very unlikely at this stage that he enjoys influence comparable to that of his father."

However, Juneau pointed out that "it is also known that he is close to many of the dominant players today" in the country, including key figures in the Revolutionary Guard. He explained that power seems to rest in the hands of an "informal committee" of Revolutionary Guard leaders and a handful of senior politicians, including the head of the negotiating delegation and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who was one of the senior leaders in the Revolutionary Guard.