Tehran: Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed successor of his slain father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader, has not been seen in public since the country was attacked by the US and Israel, and war broke out on February 28.
Mojtaba was reportedly injured in US-Israeli bombings, and there was speculation initially that he, too, had succumbed along with his father and several other leaders of the Islamic Republic.
Ever since his appointment to the top post, Mojtaba’s statements have only been issued in written form through state media.
Israeli-linked sources claimed that was not in a position to govern because he was seriously wounded.
Iranian officials, however, have repeatedly said he is safe or recovering.
Now, fresh questions on whether Mojtaba is alive have been sparked after a newly-unveiled mural surfaced in Mashhad.
The mural, revealed at a public event attended by officials of the Iranian government, features Mojtaba Khamenei and several prominent leaders – including his father Ayatollah — who are believed to have died during US-Israeli airstrikes.
Video of the unveiling of the mural have been widely shared on social media. It shows a large screen being removed to reveal the mural, showing images of senior military and political figures killed during the Iran war.
It’s apparently quite a striking and ‘revealing’ mural. Unless Iranian officials deny the ‘news’ or Mojtaba himself comes out in public, speculation will only grow.
