Iranian officials say Mojtaba Khamenei suffered leg injuries on the first day of the war; three days after replacing his father as supreme leader, he has not appeared publicly and is believed to be hiding in a secure location with limited communications.
Iran's newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was reportedly wounded in the leg on the first day of the war launched by Israel and the United States, according to a report Wednesday in The New York Times citing Iranian officials.
The report comes as Khamenei, 56, has not appeared in public or issued any statements since he was elected three days ago to replace his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli and US strike on February 28.
Three Iranian officials told The New York Times that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured that day, although the exact circumstances of the injury and his current medical condition remain unclear.
Officials said he is conscious and currently hiding in a well-secured location with limited communication.
Two Israeli military officials also told the newspaper that Israeli defense officials have reached a similar assessment, concluding that Khamenei suffered leg injuries on February 28 - the day Israel and the United States launched the war.
The attack that killed Ali Khamenei also killed Mojtaba Khamenei's wife, son and mother, according to the report.
Iranian state media has previously hinted at Mojtaba Khamenei's injury, describing him as a "janbaz jang," a Persian term used to refer to wounded war veterans.
During a briefing on Tuesday, Iranian journalists asked Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Qaani whether Khamenei had begun to function as supreme leader - a role that includes serving as commander-in-chief of Iran's armed forces.
Qaani did not respond directly, but said: "Those who needed to get the message have gotten it."
The New York Times also reported that Iranian officials believe Mojtaba Khamenei was the target of another assassination attempt on Friday, before he was officially elected as supreme leader, but while he was widely seen as the leading candidate to succeed his father.
According to officials, the attack targeted a massive bunker beneath the supreme leader's offices in Tehran. However, they said Mojtaba Khamenei was not present at the scene. /Telegraph
