Mojtaba Khamenei was hurt in strike that killed his father, Iran’s Cyprus ambassador confirms

Mojtaba Khamenei was hurt in strike that killed his father, Iran’s Cyprus ambassador confirms

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, sustained injuries during the 28 February attack that claimed the lives of six family members, including his father, according to Alireza Salarian, Iran’s ambassador to Cyprus. The official provided details from an interview held at the embassy in Nicosia, highlighting that the strike devastated the late ayatollah’s home and left the new leader with wounds to his limbs and torso.

“He was also there and he was injured in that bombardment but I haven’t seen that reflected in the foreign news,” said Salarian. “I have heard that he was injured in his legs and hand and arm … I think he is in the hospital because he is injured.”

The assault, which marked the first day of U.S.-led aerial strikes against Iran, struck the presidential complex in Tehran. Salarian noted the attack took place on the 10th day of Ramadan, a time of spiritual significance, and that Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader, was present with several relatives, including Mojtaba’s wife and teenage son, who also perished. The elder Khamenei’s wife, Mansour, reportedly died three days later.

“The [late] supreme leader was killed with his wife, with his daughter, with his son-in-law and with his daughter’s 14-month-old baby,” said Salarian. “They were inside their house near the presidential office. Top commanders were also killed as they were also invited. The supreme leader had four sons and two daughters and actually he lived in the same place where he worked.”

Salarian explained that the new leader had not been eager to take his father’s position. “High-ranking clergymen did ask him but the late supreme leader said ‘no’ because he didn’t want a dynastic system. He was elected. [After the attack] top-ranking clergymen said: ‘This is your job; you have to obey.’” He also suggested that the cleric’s absence from public life might be due to concerns about his well-being. “I don’t think he is comfortable [in any condition] to give a speech.”

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection by an 88-member clerical council, calling it “an unacceptable choice” and predicting the new leader would not endure long. Israel has issued warnings of potential assassination attempts, citing Mojtaba’s perceived alignment with his father’s hardline policies. The ambassador added that Tehran’s population of 14 million had been significantly reduced, with many residents evacuating following the bombing.

“Estimating that the death toll from the war in Iran had reached 1,400 by Tuesday, Salarian said Tehran had been emptied of ‘around half of its population.’ People fled to other cities as a result of the bombardment. The attacks had not only surprised the country’s political and diplomatic elite – despite the military buildup in the region – but also revealed a shift in strategy, as Trump did not adhere to international legal norms.”

Salarian praised the leadership of Biden and Obama, contrasting them with Trump’s approach. “Nobody believed, expected or predicted the attacks when we had finished a third round of negotiations in Geneva. Trump is a phenomenon. He does not believe in rule of law internationally or even internally in his own country,” he said. The ambassador also reiterated Iran’s commitment to its religious stance, stating: “The late supreme leader himself announced that we are not going to have nuclear weapons based on Iran’s religious code under which using nuclear weapons is forbidden.”