According to sources from the NYT, the information about Khamenei's injury was provided by "higher-ranking government figures." They claim that the new leader is conscious and is sheltered in a secure location with limited access to communication means.
Israeli military officials also confirmed that Mohtaba Khamenei was injured on February 28, as reported by the NYT. One of the indirect signs of his injury was the mention of him on state television and in the Irna agency, where he was referred to as a "wounded veteran of the war." In a congratulatory message from the Imdad Committee, a major religious charity organization, Khamenei was mentioned as a veteran who sustained injuries in battle.
However, Iranian authorities deny the information about Khamenei's injuries. According to the son of President Yousef Pezeshkian, the new leader is in perfect condition. "I heard that Mr. Mohtaba was injured. I contacted friends who are in touch with him, and they confirmed that, thank God, he is healthy," he wrote on March 10 on his Telegram channel.
Earlier, on March 7, Israeli "Channel 12" also reported on the injuries of Mohtaba Khamenei, who was perceived as the main candidate for the position of Supreme Leader of Iran after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on February 28.
On March 8, it became known that a new Supreme Leader had been elected, and the next day his name was announced — 56-year-old Mohtaba Khamenei, the second son of Ali Khamenei. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pledged allegiance to the new Supreme Leader of Iran.
