New Intelligence Memo Claims Iran’s Supreme Leader is Unconscious
A recent intelligence memo has revealed that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is in a severe medical condition and currently unable to run the country. The assessment, reportedly based on information from American and Israeli intelligence, suggests that Khamenei is being treated for a serious illness in Qom, a religious city in Iran.
Khamenei, who is 56 years old, has not been seen in public since he took over as Supreme Leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war. Initially, the regime reported that he had sustained a “minor” injury to his leg during the strike that killed his father, along with his mother, wife, and one of his sons. However, the reason for his absence has never been fully explained.
The latest diplomatic memo, shared with Gulf allies and seen by The Times, indicates that Khamenei is in a much more critical condition than previously thought. It states: “Mojtaba Khamenei is being treated in Qom in a severe condition, unable to be involved in any decision making by the regime.”
It remains unclear whether Khamenei has been unconscious since the initial injury or if he suffered another injury later on. This is the first time his whereabouts within Iran have been made public since he became Supreme Leader, although it is understood that American and Israeli intelligence have had this information for some time.
Qom is considered the religious capital of Iran, and the intelligence claims suggest that the body of Ali Khamenei is also there, being prepared for burial. The memo adds that work is ongoing in the city to “build a large mausoleum” with room for “more than one grave,” indicating that family members could be buried alongside the late Supreme Leader.
A state funeral for Ali Khamenei was previously postponed, with the regime citing “anticipation of unprecedented turnout” as the reason. Two statements have been attributed to the junior Khamenei since he took power, but both were read out on state television by presenters.
The state channel released a video on Monday purporting to show the leader walking into a war room and analyzing a map of an Israeli nuclear power plant, but this has been confirmed as AI-generated. Opposition groups have previously claimed that Khamenei is in a coma, and so far, there has been no evidence to disprove this.
President Trump has claimed to be negotiating with Iranian representatives, but has been clear that he does not mean the supreme leader. Last month, it was revealed that Mojtaba Khamenei escaped death in the strikes on his father’s compound in Tehran after stepping outside when they hit.
Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for the regime, told senior clerics and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders that Mojtaba Khamenei suffered an injury to his leg. Leaked audio said: “God’s will was that Mojtaba had to go out to the yard to do something and then return. He was outside and was heading upstairs when they struck the building with a missile. His wife, Ms Haddad, was martyred instantly.”
