- Mojtaba Khamenei was seen in an old video at a charity bazaar in a school queue
- The video surfaced days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes
- Mojtaba, 56, is the third Supreme Leader of Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution
Days after he became Iran's Supreme Leader, an old video of Mojtaba Khamenei in public interacting with people has surfaced on social media.
The video was shared on X by IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting). The clip shows Mojtaba standing in a queue at a charity bazaar organised at a school. He is also seen speaking with people at the venue.
The clip was shared with the caption, “An old video showing Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei standing in line to buy something at a charity bazaar in a school.”
NDTV could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The clip surfaced online roughly two weeks after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the father of Mojtaba, was assassinated by Israel and the US in joint strikes on Tehran and multiple other cities in the country.
The 56-year-old cleric has become the third Supreme Leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump criticised the decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he was "not happy" with Iran's choice of leader. "I don't believe he can live in peace," he said.
Prior to Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment, Trump insisted the US have a say in selecting the next leader.
Speaking to Axios, Trump said that appointing someone who would continue Ali Khamenei's policies could push the US back towards conflict with Iran within the next few years.
Trump also told ABC News, "He's going to have to get approval from us. If he doesn't get approval from us, he's not going to last long."
"We want to make sure that we don't have to go back every 10 years, when you don't have a president like me that's not going to do it," he added.
Mojtaba Khamenei Yet To Address Supporters
Despite being appointed as Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has not yet appeared publicly before supporters or released a video message since the announcement.
He or his office has yet to issue a written statement. Instead, Iranian state media has relied on archival footage to introduce him to the public.
Reports from Iranian state media suggest that Mojtaba Khamenei may have been injured during the ongoing US-Israeli strikes, which Tehran has referred to as the Ramadan War. Iran's state television has described him as "Jaanbaz of Ramadan," meaning an "injured war veteran."
