Updated 16 March 2026 at 14:30 IST
Iranian FM Dismisses Reports of Mojtaba Khamenei Being 'Wounded' or 'Disfigured'
In a media interaction with a pan-Arab news outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Araghchi said that Khamenei is ‘present at his post’ in ‘excellent health’ and ‘in control of the situation’.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently rejected claims that the newly appointed Supreme Leader of the country, Mojataba Khamenei, is ‘wounded and disfigured,’ contradicting US Secretary of War, Peter Hegseth’s statement.
In a media interaction with a pan-Arab news outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Araghchi said that Khamenei is ‘present at his post’ in ‘excellent health’ and ‘in control of the situation’. "The timing of televised messages or direct appearances before the people is his prerogative," he added.
The statement comes in the wake of widely circulating news that the leader was severely injured in the strike that killed his father and the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei and his wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh.
The rumours were further strengthened by the fact that no image of Mojtaba Khamenei has been released since the attack, and even his first public address on Thursday (March 12, 2026) was read out by a television presenter without his being present on camera.
Several news reports even claimed that Khamenei was secretly flown to Moscow for treatment immediately after the attack on 28th February in a military aircraft and underwent surgery at a private hospital connected to one of the residences of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Published By : Avipsha Sengupta
Published On: 16 March 2026 at 14:30 IST