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Iran's recently appointed top cleric hurt, yet reportedly unharmed, according to president's offspring

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Iran's recently appointed top cleric hurt, yet reportedly unharmed, according to president's offspring
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Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's newly appointed supreme leader, has been injured, but is reportedly "safe and sound", according to Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, who also serves as a government adviser.

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Yousef Pezeshkian made this revelation on his Telegram channel, stating that he had inquired about Mojtaba Khamenei's condition through connections and was informed that, thankfully, he is unharmed.

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Mojtaba Khamenei, a previously low-profile figure, was named Iran's supreme leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in an air strike at the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

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Questions had been mounting regarding Mojtaba Khamenei's whereabouts and physical condition since his appointment by the Assembly of Experts, as he has yet to make a public appearance or statement.

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State television had referred to Khamenei as a "wounded veteran of the Ramadan war", without providing further details, in reference to the conflict that began during the holy Muslim fasting month.

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A report by the New York Times, citing three unnamed Iranian officials, stated that Khamenei had suffered injuries, including to his legs, but was alert and sheltering at a secure location with limited communication.

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Speculation suggests that Mojtaba Khamenei may have been injured in the air strike on a compound in Tehran that killed his father, mother, and wife on February 28, the first day of the war.

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Images of Mojtaba Khamenei have appeared on giant billboards in Tehran, including one depicting him symbolically receiving the national flag from his father, Ali Khamenei, while Ruhollah Khomeini looks on.

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Thousands of pro-government supporters brandished posters of Mojtaba Khamenei at a massive rally in central Tehran on Monday, but nighttime chants of "Death to Mojtaba!" in the capital have also highlighted public opposition to the new supreme leader.

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Mojtaba Khamenei's father, Ali, had lived with a partially paralyzed arm since an assassination attempt in 1981, which was blamed on the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) group.

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The position of Iranian supreme leader is a lifetime appointment, and the holder also serves as a religious guide for Shia Muslims.

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Given that Mojtaba Khamenei has become a target for assassination by the United States and Israel, analysts believe he will remain out of public view for some time.

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Emile Hokayem, of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, expects Mojtaba Khamenei to remain in hiding for an extended period, citing the example of his father's death and the initial attack that killed his family members.

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Hokayem stated that killing Mojtaba Khamenei is an Israeli priority, and if he survives, he will become a symbol of the system's resilience, during an online event organized by his think-tank on Monday.

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According to Hokayem, Mojtaba Khamenei is likely to delegate power to national security chief Ali Larijani and the war effort to parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

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The army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have both pledged allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei, as have the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised "unwavering support" for Mojtaba Khamenei.

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Prior to Mojtaba Khamenei's nomination, US President Donald Trump had warned that he would be "unacceptable" as the new supreme leader, stating that he would need approval from the US to remain in power.

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Trump told ABC News on Sunday that if Mojtaba Khamenei does not receive US approval, he will not last long in his position.

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