Nearly a month after being appointed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make a public appearance, fuelling speculation about his health and whereabouts.
While he has issued several public statements, broadcast on national television, his continued absence from view has raised questions internationally.
Seeking to quell the rumours, Russia’s ambassador to Iran, Alexey Dedov, said Mojtaba Khamenei remains in the country.
“Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in the country but has been avoiding public appearances for understandable reasons,” Dedov told Russian news outlet RTVI.
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the role after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 at the outset of the conflict.
Since then, speculation has intensified, with the United States claiming that the new Supreme Leader may have been wounded and possibly “disfigured”.
Separate media reports have suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei was flown to Moscow for medical treatment at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia and Iran share close diplomatic ties, having signed a strategic partnership treaty last year. Moscow’s assertion that Khamenei remains in Iran appears aimed at reinforcing stability in Tehran’s leadership amid ongoing uncertainty.
