Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued another written message – this time thanking Iraq – but his continued absence from public view raises questions about his condition and whereabouts.
In his last message, Khamenei expressed his appreciation to Iraq for supporting Iran during the ongoing conflict. According to Iranian media, the letter specifically recognized the Iraqi people and their senior religious leadership.
The Iranian Students News Agency reported that Al-Sistani “expressed his appreciation to the supreme religious authority (in Iraq) and the people of Iraq for their clear position against the aggression against Iran and their support for our country,” referring to Ali Al-Sistani.
But Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence from the public raised speculation about whether he was alive or not. Adding to the uncertainty is that Donald Trump, in an interview with the Financial Times, recently cast doubt on Khamenei’s condition. “The son is either dead or in a very bad condition. We have not heard from him at all. He is gone.”
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Agence France-Presse reported that the message was conveyed after a meeting that included the Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council and the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad, although no details were revealed about how it was conveyed.
No public appearances yet
Although he was appointed supreme leader after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in an air strike on February 28, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public even once.
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So far, his communications have been limited to a few written statements. These messages include an initial message after assuming leadership and another on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Both were read on television by others rather than delivered live.
Official media circulated pictures of him, but without confirming that they were recent. Officials indicated he was recovering from injuries sustained in an airstrike, but there was no independent confirmation.
Speculation intensifies
The lack of any live appearances sparked intense speculation worldwide. Questions about whether he was able to drive personally remain unanswered.
US President Donald Trump said last week that Washington was holding talks with a “senior figure” in Iran, but he made clear that this person was not the Supreme Leader.
Trump said: “We have not heard from the son… and we do not know if he is alive.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s third supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, took charge at a moment of war and uncertainty. However, his leadership is largely demonstrated through written words rather than public presence.
