The United States and Israel jointly carried out massive airstrikes on Iran on February 28, an operation that reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Following the incident, his second son Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position of Supreme Leader. However, Mojtaba has not appeared in public since the attacks, leading to widespread speculation about his condition. Some reports initially claimed that he too had been killed in the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.
Amid these reports, the British tabloid The Sun published a story claiming that Mojtaba Khamenei is currently in a coma. According to the report, he suffered severe injuries in the attacks and may have lost one or both of his legs. It further stated that he is undergoing treatment in a heavily secured hospital ward that has been taken over by security forces, raising questions about the continuity of leadership within Iran.
Israel, however, has maintained that Mojtaba Khamenei had already died and alleged that Iran is deliberately concealing the truth. Israeli sources claim Tehran may first project that he is in a coma before announcing his death years later. Iranian government sources, on the other hand, have neither confirmed his death nor provided clear details about his health. Instead, authorities released a statement attributed to Mojtaba in an apparent attempt to show that he is still alive and capable of leadership.
Israel has questioned the credibility of that claim, arguing that if Mojtaba were indeed alive, he would appear in a live video to reassure the Iranian public. Reacting to the speculation, Donald Trump said in an interview with a news agency that Mojtaba Khamenei might still be alive in some form. Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that he was severely injured in the attacks and had become almost unrecognizable due to his wounds.
Meanwhile, Iran has made counterclaims regarding Israeli leadership. Several Iranian media outlets reported that in retaliatory strikes, the security bunker of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hit, allegedly resulting in his death. Netanyahu has not appeared physically in public since the conflict began, with only video messages released on February 28 and March 7. A video interaction with the media on March 12 has also sparked controversy, with Iranian sources alleging it may have been manipulated using artificial intelligence, citing visual anomalies and the absence of reporters on screen. The competing claims from both sides have intensified global attention amid the ongoing conflict.