Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has held the country’s most powerful office since March, yet Iranians have not received a new photograph, video, or audio recording showing him since he took power.
Iranian officials and senior sources say he is alive, recovering from serious injuries and still making major decisions. But his prolonged absence has created an unusual problem: outsiders — and many Iranians — cannot independently verify his current physical condition, location, or how directly he is governing.
Who Is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Mojtaba Khamenei is the son of Iran’s longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026.
On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba Khamenei as the Islamic Republic’s third Supreme Leader. The position formally gives him ultimate authority over major matters of state, including Iran’s military and security establishment.
But he entered office under extraordinary circumstances: he had reportedly been seriously wounded in the same attack that killed his father.
What Happened to Him on February 28?
The Iranian government has not publicly provided a detailed account of Mojtaba Khamenei’s injuries.
Reuters reported in April, citing three people close to his inner circle, that Khamenei suffered severe facial injuries and a significant injury to one or both legs in the February 28 attack. Those sources said his face was disfigured but that he remained mentally sharp and involved in major decisions.
Reuters said it could not independently verify their descriptions.
That distinction is important. There is credible reporting that Khamenei was seriously injured, but the full extent of his injuries — and his current medical condition — has not been independently established.
Six Months Without a Verifiable Public Appearance
The most striking fact about Khamenei’s leadership is not what has been seen, but what has not.
Reuters reported on August 28 that no new photograph, video, or audio message of Khamenei had been released since his appointment.
Iranian media released undated archive footage on August 24 showing him at a meeting before he became Supreme Leader. Because the footage predates his appointment, it does not establish his current condition.
Khamenei has issued several written statements. His August 30 message urging Muslim countries, particularly Gulf states, to unite against what he called their “real enemy” was published on his Telegram account rather than delivered through a live speech or public appearance.
Written communications demonstrate that messages are being issued in his name. They do not independently prove when or under what circumstances he personally prepared them.
Iran Says He Is Still Governing
Iranian officials and senior sources inside the country tell a much clearer story: Khamenei remains in charge.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said in July that his level of “interaction” with Khamenei was increasing. Reuters reported that Pezeshkian said on August 10 that he had held a seven-hour meeting with him.
Reuters also reported on August 28 that several senior Iranian sources said Khamenei receives major reports, participates in meetings with top officials and retains final authority over important decisions.
One person close to his inner circle told Reuters that his health was improving significantly.
These are consequential accounts, but they remain accounts from officials and informed sources. The meetings themselves have not been accompanied by current public images or recordings of Khamenei.
Why Might Khamenei Be Staying Out of Sight?
Two explanations repeatedly appear in credible reporting: his injuries and his security.
Reuters sources have said Khamenei is recovering from serious wounds. They have also described fears that revealing details about his appearance, location or meetings could help the United States or Israel target him.
Those concerns are not difficult to understand. His father was killed in the opening attacks, and Israel had also threatened to target whoever was chosen as Iran’s next Supreme Leader.
Still, these explanations cannot be independently confirmed as the complete reason for six months of invisibility.
There is also no credible public evidence establishing that Khamenei is dead or incapable of governing. His absence alone does not prove either claim.
Who Is Running Iran While He Remains Unseen?
Iran’s government has continued functioning despite Khamenei’s absence from public view.
Reuters reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has become especially influential during the war, while senior political and security officials operate through a leadership structure centered partly on the Supreme National Security Council.
Officials say Khamenei remains above that system and makes final decisions while delegating substantial day-to-day authority.
There is no reliable evidence that another individual has secretly replaced him as Supreme Leader.
Why His Absence Matters
Iran’s Supreme Leader is supposed to be the country’s ultimate political and military authority. That makes prolonged uncertainty about his condition more than a personal health question.
Iran faces major decisions involving the war, possible diplomacy with Washington, relations with Gulf states and severe economic pressure. Clear evidence about who is exercising final authority matters when decisions could affect both Iran and the United States.
His invisibility may also complicate domestic politics. If competing factions claim to understand what an unseen leader wants, uncertainty can grow even when the government continues functioning.
So Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei?
The most accurate answer is that the public does not know.
Iranian officials and Reuters sources indicate that Khamenei is alive, recovering and continuing to participate in major decisions. Serious injuries and fears of another strike are the principal reported explanations for his absence.
But his precise location is undisclosed, his present physical condition cannot be independently verified, and the extent of his day-to-day involvement remains difficult for outsiders to establish.
Six months after the attack, there is still no independently verifiable recent photograph, video or audio recording of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Bottom Line
There is no reliable evidence that Mojtaba Khamenei is dead or has been secretly removed from power. There is substantial reporting, based on Iranian officials and informed sources, that he remains involved in governing.
But Iran has provided remarkably little independently verifiable evidence of its Supreme Leader’s condition.
Until Khamenei makes a verifiable appearance or releases authenticated current audio or video, the central uncertainty will remain: Iran says its Supreme Leader is governing, but the outside world still cannot fully see how — or from where.
Sources
Reuters: Iran's disfigured supreme leader remains invisible six months into an existential war
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-disfigured-supreme-leader-remains-invisible-six-months-into-an-existential-2026-08-28/
Reuters: Iran's new supreme leader has severe and disfiguring wounds, sources say
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-new-supreme-leader-has-severe-disfiguring-wounds-sources-say-2026-04-11/
Reuters: 'Interaction' with Iran's injured Supreme Leader increasing daily, president says
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/interaction-with-irans-injured-supreme-leader-increasing-daily-president-says-2026-07-21/
Reuters: Iran says Oman deal is in 'final stages' but US must act to open Hormuz
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/iran-says-oman-deal-is-final-stages-us-must-act-open-hormuz-2026-08-09/
Reuters: Iran's Khamenei urges Gulf rulers in written message to confront 'real enemy'
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-khamenei-urges-gulf-rulers-written-message-confront-real-enemy-2026-08-30/
Reuters: Iran names Khamenei's hardline son Mojtaba as new supreme leader, oil surges
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-rejects-settling-iran-war-raises-prospect-killing-all-its-potential-2026-03-08/