New York: Putting an end to swirling global speculation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed that the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive and in perfect health. Speaking to American journalists in New York, the Iranian President offered explicit details of his recent meeting with Mojtaba, aiming to silence rumors regarding the elusive leader’s physical condition.
For months, various reports across American and Israeli media networks had raised questions about Mojtaba’s well-being, with some speculating that he had suffered severe injuries, including the loss of his hands, following recent geopolitical escalations. Dismissing these claims as baseless, Pezeshkian stated, “His bodily organs are completely intact. The claims that his hands were cut off or anything else are entirely false. I have seen him myself.”
Detailing his interaction, Pezeshkian revealed, “I met Mojtaba just a month ago. He is completely healthy. We spoke for nearly seven hours. We sat together on cushions in one place and even walked around from time to time.”
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as Iran’s Supreme Leader on March 8, succeeding his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated. The succession decision was made by an assembly of 50 clerics possessing voting rights. Since assuming power, Mojtaba has remained strictly underground, effectively evading the radar of major international intelligence agencies, including the CIA and Mossad. Despite his prolonged public absence, Mojtaba remains deeply involved in all major state decisions, with official directives frequently issued under his name.
During the press briefing, Pezeshkian was also questioned on whether Iran holds intentions to assassinate US President Donald Trump in retaliation for the ongoing conflict. The Iranian President firmly denied this, stating, “Iran never thinks like that. America, however, has certainly done such things.”
Reflecting on the intense geopolitical tensions, Pezeshkian acknowledged that the United States has inflicted significant damage on Iran and warned that Washington might continue to do so in the future. “Iran was forcibly pushed into this war, and our Supreme Leader was assassinated,” he noted. However, he issued a stern message of resilience, declaring that the people of Iran will never bow down or surrender to Washington’s pressure.