US media claims Khamenei suffered serious injuries in Tehran strike

The US-based newspaper The New York Times has reported claims that Iran’s religious leader Mojtaba Khamenei has undergone three surgeries on his leg and may require a prosthetic limb and cosmetic intervention in the future.

According to the report, the US press continues to advance claims that Iran’s new religious leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in attacks allegedly carried out by Israel and the United States on February 28. The New York Times, citing Iranian sources, stated that Khamenei was seriously wounded in the strike in which his father, Iran’s former religious leader Ali Khamenei, was killed, yet continues to play an active role in the country’s decision-making processes.

The report further claims that Khamenei underwent three surgeries on one leg and may require a prosthetic limb in the future. It also states that he had surgery on his hand, which is gradually regaining function.

Additional claims suggest that Khamenei suffered severe burns to his face and lips during the attack, causing difficulty in speech, and that he may undergo cosmetic surgery in the future. It is also alleged that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, a cardiac surgeon, has been closely involved in his treatment.

The report further states that Khamenei avoids public appearances to prevent the impression of being “weak or vulnerable,” while his written statements are distributed online and broadcast on television. It is also claimed that Iranian officials are not permitted to meet directly with the religious leader due to concerns that Israel could identify his location and carry out an assassination.

Previous US media reports have also alleged that Khamenei’s face was severely disfigured and that he sustained serious leg injuries in the attack in Tehran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly reiterated these claims during press briefings.

By Vafa Guliyeva