Mojtaba Khamenei recovering from severe facial and leg injuries, but ‘mentally alert’: Report

April 11, 2026

Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is recovering from serious facial and leg injuries sustained during an airstrike that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the ongoing war, according to three sources close to his inner circle.

The 56-year-old’s face was disfigured in the February 28 attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran. He also suffered significant injuries to one or both legs, the sources told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mentally sharp despite injuries

Despite the injuries, Mojtaba Khamenei remains mentally sharp and is actively participating in high-level decision-making, including matters related to the war and ongoing negotiations with the United States.

He has been joining meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing, two of the sources added. No photographs, videos, or audio recordings of the new supreme leader have been released since he was named successor on March 8.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment on his condition.The reports align with a statement made by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on March 13, who described Khamenei as “wounded and likely disfigured.”

A source familiar with US intelligence assessments separately indicated that he may have lost a leg. For the unversed, Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law were also killed in the same strike.

State Television refers him as ‘Janbaz’

State television Media of Iran has referred to him as a “janbaz”, a term used for those severely wounded in war. Sources close to Khamenei indicated that images or a public appearance could be released within the next one to two months, depending on his recovery and the security situation