Mojtaba Khamenei Pulled From Rubble Twice After US Strikes Targeted Hospital

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reportedly pulled from the rubble of a bombed hospital twice after U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted medical facilities in Tehran, according to an Iranian cleric speaking to Qatari television.

The strikes, which allegedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other leaders, also hit three hospitals in Tehran on February 28. Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly in one of these hospitals when it was bombed and was subsequently rescued from the debris.

Mohsen Heydari, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, told Al Araby television that Mojtaba Khamenei was in a third hospital and was “pulled from the rubble” again. Khamenei has not been seen publicly or heard from since the incident, leading to speculation about his well-being.

The Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for selecting Iran's supreme leader, was also reportedly targeted. Its Qom Secretariat was bombed, resulting in casualties and the destruction of records pertaining to the selection process. Following the attack, members of the assembly were summoned to a secret location to cast their votes for a new supreme leader.

During this meeting, Heydari proposed Mojtaba Khamenei’s name, citing intelligence that he was healthy and competent to lead the country. Khamenei secured 50 out of 59 votes to become the new supreme leader. U.S. intelligence reports have suggested that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was severely disfigured in the initial strikes, though the extent of his injuries and current status have been subject to conflicting accounts.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently stated that Mojtaba Khamenei is “completely” healthy, describing a meeting he had with the new supreme leader for approximately seven hours last month. Speculation about the health of the elder Khamenei had been ongoing for months prior to the reported strikes.