Overview
- Mohsen Heydari, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, told Qatari broadcaster Al Araby that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the strikes that began on February 28 and then was extracted alive from the rubble after a hospital where he was being treated was hit.
- Heydari said the Assembly’s Qom secretariat was damaged in the campaign and that a secret March 8 vote, held after documents were destroyed, gave Mojtaba 50 of 59 votes to succeed his father.
- US officials and President Trump have publicly described severe wounds to Mojtaba while Iran’s president and foreign minister say he remains able to lead and that his low profile is a security measure.
- No independent verification — such as photos, contemporaneous third-party confirmation, or hospital records — has been published for the rescue account and Tehran’s officials cite security reasons for withholding proof of life.
- The episode raises practical risks for Iran’s command and for civilians because reported strikes hit hospitals and clerical institutions, and the story should be watched for further proof of life, changes in public leadership appearances, and shifts in how Iran transmits orders.