Iranian media has clarified that Mansoure Khoujast Bagherzadeh, the wife of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is alive. Earlier reports suggesting her death were incorrect, according to Fars News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The announcement drew further attention after Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not reference his mother’s death in his first public statement.
At the start of the conflict, reports emerged claiming that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had died. These were soon followed by rumors that his wife had also perished. On February 28, the first day of the war, Iranian media stated that Khamenei and several family members—including his daughter, grandson, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law—had been killed in an attack.
In a recent address, Mojtaba Khamenei made dramatic comments, vowing to avenge the deaths of Iranians in the war, particularly children killed in the attack on Minab School. He also called for leveraging the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic tool to increase pressure on enemy forces.
Amid a deepening global energy crisis, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei emphasized the importance of the Strait of Hormuz’s security, stating that certain naval operations will only be permitted in coordination with Iran’s navy. He highlighted that conditions prior to February 28 no longer apply, underlining the critical strategic role the waterway now plays for the region and the world.