Amid growing ambiguity regarding the health condition of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, questions are mounting over his ability to effectively manage the country's affairs.
Since reportedly sustaining injuries during US-Israeli strikes in late February, he has limited his communications to written statements, with no direct public appearances.
This comes as purported video footage circulating online appears to show him inside a military control room, fueling speculation about the reality of his condition and his actual role in leading Iran during this critical period.
The Times of London has published new details about the health condition of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in the same US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father.
The newspaper, citing information drawn from a diplomatic memo, reported that Mojtaba Khamenei is incapacitated and receiving medical treatment in the holy city of Qom. He "is being treated in Qom in a severe condition, unable to be involved in any decision making by the regime".
This marks the first time his location has been disclosed. The central city of Qom lies about 87 miles (approximately 140 kilometers) south of Tehran and serves as the hub of Iran’s Shiite religious establishment and a stronghold for its clerical leadership.
The newspaper reported that US and Israeli intelligence agencies had been aware of his location for some time, though this information had remained undisclosed until now.
It also noted that efforts were made to obtain official comment on the contents of the memo, including outreach to the US National Security Agency, as well as Iran’s mission in Washington, which operates out of the Pakistani embassy.
Arrangements for the Burial of Ali Khamenei
According to the memo, preparations are underway for the burial of the late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in the city of Qom.
The Times also reported that intelligence agencies have monitored efforts to “laying the groundworks needed to build a large mausoleum in Qom” capable of accommodating “more than one grave,” suggesting the possibility that additional family members—potentially including Mojtaba himself—could be buried alongside the late leader.
Iran has confirmed that Khamenei’s son was injured in the same airstrike that killed his father, as well as his mother, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel, and one of his sons, on the first day of a war that has engulfed the Middle East for more than five weeks.
Since then, only two statements attributed to him have been broadcast on Iranian state television. On Monday, the channel also aired a video produced using artificial intelligence, showing the leader entering a war room and analyzing a map of Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility.
The absence of any audio recording has further reinforced unconfirmed reports that he remains in critical condition.
Who is in Control in Iran?
Despite continued insistence from Iranian officials that Mojtaba Khamenei remains in charge, a stream of leaks and conflicting reports have painted a very different picture. Opposition groups have claimed he has fallen into a coma, while other accounts suggest he sustained severe injuries, including a broken leg and facial trauma.
According to The Times, these divergent narratives have intensified questions about the true state of power within Tehran’s leadership structure—particularly in a system where the Supreme Leader is regarded as the ultimate political and religious authority.
Speculation therefore is mounting that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may be the party effectively holding the reins of power, while Khamenei appears increasingly as a silent figurehead rather than an active decision-maker, the newspaper reported.
