Days after Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei took over from his father, it’s been reported that he is in a coma.
Sources have claimed he’s lost one leg and suffered serious abdominal injuries in a US-Israeli air strike.
It remains unclear when Mojtaba suffered the injuries, but the reports come just days after he was appointed to take over from his father, Ali Khamenei.
Gathering for Ramadan in the same bunker, Mojtaba Khamenei’s father, Ali Khamenei, mother, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, his wife of 20 years, Zahra and one of his sons, reported as Mohammad, were all killed in the strike that launched the war in late February.
In that strike, Mojtaba suffered a fractured foot, a bruise around his left eye, as well as minor lacerations to his face, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
Now, reports appear to show that he is seeking treatment in the intensive care unit at Sina University Hospital in Tehran.
The anonymous source claimed: ‘One or two of his legs have been cut off. His liver or stomach has also ruptured. He is apparently in a coma as well.’
It remains unclear if the injuries are from the initial February strike and were more severe than initially reported, or if they are from a new air strike. Some have suggested Mojtaba may have been appointed as the new Ayatollah while being in a coma.
The news comes a day after fears surfaced that Mojtaba could seek ‘personal revenge’ after his family members were killed in strikes.
Dr Katayoun Shahandeh, a Lecturer in the history of Art and Museology, told Metro: ‘It is very likely that retaliation and resistance will become central themes in Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership, at least in rhetoric.
‘The strikes that killed the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (Mojtaba’s father) and members of his family will inevitably shape the political atmosphere in Tehran.
‘Reports suggest that Mojtaba himself was injured in the same attack and lost close relatives, which makes the moment not only political but deeply personal.’