- Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly transferred to Russia for medical treatment after a US-Israeli airstrike
- Russian President Putin personally offered medical aid during a call with Iranian President Pezeshkian
- Khamenei sustained severe injuries but is reportedly feeling well, per the Iranian foreign ministry
Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, may have been transferred to Russia for medical treatment after he was severely injured in the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father on February 28. The 56-year-old cleric was moved to Moscow after Russian President Vladimir Putin "personally offered" medical treatment to Khamenei during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a report by Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida.
Khamenei was flown to Moscow in a Russian military plane on Thursday after Putin's call, the report claimed.
Russia has, meanwhile, refused to either confirm or deny the report. Talking to the Tass news agency, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, "We never comment on such reports."
What We Know About Mojtaba Khamenei's Injuries
According to the Iranian foreign ministry, Khamenei was wounded in the US-Israeli strikes but is reportedly feeling well. The new ayatollah reportedly sustained severe injuries to his leg, arm and hand.
A leaked audio clip also claimed that Khamenei escaped death in the strike that killed several members of his family as he stepped out of the Khamenei compound just minutes before the attack. He reportedly sustained only "a minor injury to his leg" in the strike in the attack that killed his wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, and their son instantly, according to a report by The Telegraph.
However, American reports have claimed that the Iranian leader had been "disfigured" in the Israeli attack on the Khamenei compound in Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has said that he does not know whether Iran's new supreme leader is still alive, adding that Washington was unclear with whom it could negotiate in Tehran.
Russia-Iran Ties
Iran is one of Russia's closest allies in the Middle East and enjoys a close "strategic partnership" with Moscow, reviling common foes the US and NATO in the region. Putin has condemned the US assassination of Ali Khamenei as a "cynical murder" and pledged Russia's "unwavering support for Tehran".
