Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei unseen as health doubts rise

Iranian state television posted an old 2017 photograph, describing it as a rare image of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei visiting the earthquake‑hit city of Sarpol‑e Zahab. The picture actually dates back to the 2017 Kermanshah quake, and no recent photographs or video of the leader have been released.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since his appointment on 8 March, following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US‑Israeli strikes that also killed senior military commander Abdolrahim Mousavi. Reports suggest he suffered facial injuries and other wounds, and senior sources say security concerns prevent his appearance. His continued absence has sparked public anxiety and speculation about his ability to govern, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remains the dominant power within the regime.

Iranians have voiced the need for visible leadership amid renewed hostilities with the United States and growing economic pressure, fearing the leadership vacuum could deepen uncertainty and disorder.