Iran's regime appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader in the wake of U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last month. Now whispers are swirling that Mojtaba might already be pushing up daisies — or at least rotting away in a coma.
An X account believed to be linked to Israel's Mossad claims: "They chose a dead man to lead them—a dead man who had ended even before the beginning."
🚨 Breaking - Official Mossad account: Mojtaba Khamenei is dead pic.twitter.com/6IX9JqWI9B
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) March 13, 2026
Are Tehran's mullahs propping up a corpse to keep the show going? They could be. I wouldn’t discount the possibility. However, the latest word from President Donald Trump is far less definitive.
In an interview with Fox's Brian Kilmeade that aired Friday morning, he said, "I think he probably is. I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, yeah."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth backed that up at his Friday briefing, calling Mojtaba wounded and likely disfigured from the initial Tehran blasts that kicked off Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28. U.S. intel paints a picture of a guy barely hanging on, which fits the chaos.
ICYMI: Democrat Fearmongering on Iran Isn’t Working. Here’s How We Know.
I’m sure Trump would like to see Mojtaba dead, so, if he’s not convinced he is, I think the answer to the question is still up in the air. There are certainly plenty of reasons to believe he is dead, including the fact that Mojtaba has not made any public appearances, and no new photos of him since his appointment have been released either.
The New York Post has more:
Reports citing Iranian sources claim Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded during the Feb. 28 airstrike that took out his father and wife.
Khamenei is allegedly in a coma, may have lost both legs and suffered extensive internal injuries as well, one source told The Sun.
Another source insisted the cleric only suffered minor injuries — including a fractured foot, bruised eye, and facial lacerations during the initial wave of airstrikes.
Khamenei, 56, vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz and avenge the death of his father, as well as “every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy,” in his first statement as supreme leader.
The lengthy message was read out on Iranian state TV by an anchor Thursday as an image of Khamenei was displayed on screen.
Iran's state media tried to give the impression that Mojtaba is alive and well by presenting his “first public message,” but it was read by an anchor instead of the man himself. In the statement attributed to him, he vowed revenge for the dead and demanded that Gulf nations boot U.S. bases or face attacks. He even wants reparations: "If the enemy refuses, we will seize as much of its assets as we deem appropriate; and if that is not possible, we will destroy an equivalent amount of its property."
Yeah, that’s bold talk from someone who hasn't shown his face.
So is Mojtaba really dead? It wouldn't shock me one bit. Some signs definitely suggest it. But, if Trump's playing it cautious, I think we have to assume for now that he’s alive, even if he’s badly wounded or even in a coma.
That said, if he's not gone yet, I have no doubt he soon will be.
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