Iranian cleric says Mojtaba Khamenei was rescued from hospital rubble and denies succession claim
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir told Al Araby that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured before the Israel-U.S.-Iran conflict and was pulled from a Tehran hospital, and he rejected reports that his father named him as a successor.
Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari Alekasir told Qatari-owned Al Araby in a Thursday interview that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was rescued from the debris of a Tehran hospital in the early days of the Israel-U.S.-Iran war. He said Khamenei had been injured before the conflict began, but did not provide details about his condition.
Heidari also rejected reports that former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had recommended his son as a successor, stating that Mojtaba Khamenei’s potential election would not be linked to his father’s position. During his father’s tenure, Mojtaba Khamenei did not hold an official political role, according to Heidari.
Describing the younger Khamenei as a “shadow man,” the cleric said he acted as an advisor who was consulted when his father was unavailable. He added that Khamenei’s limited public appearances and absence from meetings with Iran’s Assembly of Experts were due to security concerns for both him and the assembly members.