Iran’s senior cleric Ayatollah Mohsen Qomi has pushed back against claims circulating in the United States about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, asserting that the leader is “in perfect health” and continues to oversee key state affairs.
The clarification comes amid persistent speculation over Khamenei’s condition and absence from public appearances following the February 28 airstrikes on a compound linked to former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The developments have fuelled competing narratives about the Iranian leadership’s functioning.
Rumours dismissed as ‘tactics by the enemy’
Qomi, a member of the Assembly of Experts and Deputy for International Affairs in the office of the Supreme Leader, said the questions being raised about Mojtaba Khamenei’s health were part of a deliberate attempt by Western actors to provoke a response.
“Some people ask about the health status of His Eminence the Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei. This is a trick used by the enemy, who wants to say, ‘Why is he not present? Why doesn’t he send an audio or video message? Why don’t the people who have visited him come forward and speak?’ They want to use these questions to force us into reacting, so they can achieve their goals,” he said, as quoted by Fars News Agency.
‘He was in the building that was bombed’
Qomi confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei had been present in the building that was targeted during the strike, but survived the attack.
“He was in that very building that was bombed, where others were martyred. Just minutes before the explosion, by God’s will, he had gone into the courtyard. God wanted him to be preserved,” he said.
He added that while Khamenei had sustained injuries, officials were now focused on ensuring his safety and recovery.
“Right now, the most important issue for us is to help preserve the life of His Eminence the Leader, who is currently the Proof of God on earth. And I assure you that despite the injuries he sustained there, Almighty God preserved him as a treasure for the Shia,” Qomi said.
‘Actively managing affairs, overseeing negotiations’
According to Qomi, Mojtaba Khamenei remains in charge of state matters, including negotiations and operational decisions.
“Currently, he is in perfect health and is actively managing affairs. He oversees matters related to negotiations and field operations with his direct supervision. Recently, he even gave specific instructions to the negotiating team regarding what actions to take under various conditions. He has full command over the situation,” he said, as reported by Fars News Agency.
Earlier this week, Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia, Deputy Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India, had also dismissed concerns over Khamenei’s health.
“The situation of our Supreme Leader, Hazrat Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, is, thanks to God, good. According to the communication that we had a couple of days ago, he is in a good situation, he’s fine,” Ziyaeenia had said on April 28.
Limited public visibility after February strikes
According to a report by The New York Times, Mojtaba Khamenei has largely stayed out of public view since the February 28 strikes on the compound of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, where he had been living.
The attack reportedly killed his wife and son, and since then, access to him has been tightly restricted. Only a small group, mainly medical personnel, have been allowed contact as he recovers from injuries sustained in the strike, the report said.