Russia has neither confirmed nor denied reports that Vladimir Putin secretly evacuated Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, for emergency surgery following a major airstrike.
The 56-year-old cleric was reportedly injured in the strike that killed his father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during the initial phase of the US-Israel campaign against Iran.
Unconfirmed reports from Iranian sources suggest that Mojtaba Khamenei was smuggled out of Iran on a Russian military aircraft and transported to Moscow for treatment.
A source quoted by the Kuwaiti outlet Al-Jarida claimed the evacuation was a “highly secret operation” due to the leader’s health and security concerns.
This source alleged that the surgery took place at a clinic within one of Putin’s presidential residences and that it had been “successful.” However, no independent evidence has emerged to substantiate this claim. When asked about the reports on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to clarify the situation, stating, “We do not comment on such reports.”
Speculation about Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition has intensified because he has not been seen in public since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which marked a new phase in the conflict. US President Donald Trump expressed doubt about the Iranian leader’s status during an interview with NBC News, saying, “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him.”
In contrast, Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, claimed last week that Mojtaba Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured” as a result of the attack. Iran has rejected these claims. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that the country’s new Supreme Leader is in good health and continues to oversee the war effort. “The Leader of the Revolution is in complete health and is fully managing the situation,” he stated.
The conflicting accounts have deepened uncertainty surrounding Iran’s leadership during a time when the country is involved in an escalating conflict with the United States and Israel.
