Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, has not been seen in public since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury.

14:19, Thu, Mar 19, 2026 Updated: 15:00, Thu, Mar 19, 2026

Mojtaba Khamenei

Mojtaba Khamenei was badly injured in an Israeli attack, Tulsi Gabbard said (Image: Getty)

Mojtaba Khamenei has been badly injured in an Israeli attack, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, has claimed. She told the House Intelligence Committee that Mojtaba Khamenei had been seriously wounded in an Israeli strike. Under questioning, she noted that although he is considered more hardline than his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his injuries have made the extent of decision‑making at the top of Iran’s government “unclear.”

Khamenei, the son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—who was killed on the first day of Operation Epic Fury—has not appeared publicly since the war began. US President Donald Trump also questioned whether the new Supreme Leader of Iran, who hasn't been seen since Operation Epic Fury began, is "even alive" in a new interview.

During an interview with NBS news, Mr Trump said: "I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him."

Describing the new leader as a "lightweight", Mr Trump said: "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran."

Even on Friday, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said he was "wounded and likely disfigured".

However, Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Iran, recently dismissed the rumours and said the new Iran leader is in "complete health".

Mojtaba Khamenei is the second‑oldest son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has spent most of his life away from the public eye, seldom delivering speeches or leading Friday prayers.

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At 56, he is known for his staunch conservative views and previously served in the Habib battalion of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran‑Iraq War.

He has also been associated with the harsh crackdown on protests inside Iran. His years within the IRGC allowed him to forge strong relationships with figures who now occupy powerful positions across the country’s leadership.