Tehran: Mojtaba Khamenei, who recently assumed leadership in Iran, reportedly survived the airstrike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, after stepping outside his residence just before missiles struck the leadership compound in Tehran.
A report published by The Telegraph, citing a leaked audio recording, said Mojtaba Khamenei had briefly gone into the yard shortly before the February 28 attack began. Moments later, missiles hit the compound in what appeared to be a coordinated strike targeting key figures of Iran’s leadership.
Leaked account describes strike
According to the report, the audio was attributed to Mazaher Hosseini, a senior official responsible for protocol in the office of the late supreme leader. The remarks were reportedly made during a meeting in Tehran on March 12 and later obtained by the newspaper.
Hosseini said the strike occurred around 9:32 a.m. local time and hit multiple buildings inside the leadership complex almost simultaneously.
Casualties inside the compound
The report said Mojtaba Khamenei suffered a leg injury during the attack. However, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel and their son were killed in the strike.
Among the other casualties were Mojtaba’s brother-in-law Misbah al-Huda Bagheri Kani and Mohammad Shirazi, who served as the head of Ali Khamenei’s military bureau. Several parts of the compound, including residential quarters linked to members of the Khamenei family, were reportedly destroyed.
Strike led to sudden succession
The attack killed Ali Khamenei and triggered a rapid leadership transition in Iran. Within days of the strike, Mojtaba Khamenei was formally named the country’s new supreme leader on March 8.
However, questions have persisted about his health and ability to lead. Since the attack, Mojtaba has not appeared publicly. His first message after assuming office was delivered through a televised statement rather than in person, prompting speculation about the extent of his injuries.
Debate over leadership transition
The report also cited intelligence assessments suggesting that Ali Khamenei had previously opposed the idea of his son succeeding him as supreme leader.
Analysts say Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise could reshape the balance of power within Iran, potentially strengthening the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the country’s political system.
The leaked recording adds new details to the dramatic strike that reshaped Iran’s leadership, indicating that the current supreme leader survived the attack that killed his father by only a matter of minutes.
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