Khaberni - Iran TV announced in the first minutes of dawn on Monday that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the regime's leader who was killed, was chosen as the successor to his father as the third leader of the regime, and the noteworthy aspect of this announcement is that the TV presenter described him as the "Ramadan War Wounded".
The state media in Iran have named the ongoing war between Israel and America with the regime as the "Ramadan War" due to its commencement during the holy month, and using the title "Ramadan War Wounded" for Mojtaba Khamenei indicates that he was injured during recent attacks.
Although the official media have not provided details about the nature or severity of these injuries, reports and evidence published suggest that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured during an attack carried out by the Israeli army on the residence and workplace of Ali Khamenei, known as the "House of the Leader" in Tehran, which resulted in the death of the regime's leader and several family members.
The "Ramadan War Wounded", and following the news of Ali Khamenei's death, Iranian media confirmed the death of Zahra Haddad Adel, wife of Mojtaba Khamenei, as well. Meanwhile, some foreign media, including Israel's Channel 14 and the "New York Post", claimed in their reports that Mojtaba Khamenei was also killed in the same attack, a claim denied by the official authorities in Tehran.
In the days following that attack, many regime officials who were said to have survived the attacks appeared in front of cameras, but no new photos or videos of Mojtaba Khamenei were published, which fueled speculation about the severity of his injuries and the possibility that he is in the hospital.
Even now, despite the official announcement of his selection through a vote by a specialized leadership council and with the support of the "Revolutionary Guard," Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in front of the cameras, nor has he given any speech on the regime's programs under his leadership.
At the same time, some government pages and figures on social media posted AI-generated photos and video clips of their new leader, showing Mojtaba Khamenei performing Friday prayers or standing next to his father or in a symbolic space. It soon became clear that many of these images were fake.
Throughout all the past years, only one short video of a speech by Mojtaba Khamenei was available, recorded a year ago, where he appeared briefly in front of the camera announcing the suspension of his ongoing jurisprudence lectures until further notice.
Now after the official television described him as "Ramadan War Wounded", many observers raise this question: Is the new leader of the regime physically able to make public appearances at all? Some analysts believe that the "Revolutionary Guard" initially needed a "Guardian Jurist" to maintain the formal structure of power, and from this perspective, the new leader could suffice in a role of issuing edicts and approving major decisions, even if he does not appear publicly due to injuries or health conditions.
In such a scenario, the "Revolutionary Guard" might effectively control his communication with other governance institutions taking advantage of Mojtaba Khamenei's unclear health situation and the war circumstances. In this case, officials like members of Masoud Pezeshkian's government or prominent figures like the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, would have to communicate with the new leader via channels of the "Revolutionary Guard", making major leaders of the "Guard" alongside Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the former member of this military apparatus and current Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the principal players in the power structure.
It's only a matter of time and these developments occur while American and Israeli officials have repeatedly spoken in recent days about the possibility of targeting the new regime leader. Meanwhile, Israel and America continue their military attacks on Iranian locations and leaders within the country, and in some cases, the intensity has increased.
Yesterday, Monday, "Fox News" anchor Brian Kilmeade said that Donald Trump told him commenting on the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the Iranian regime's leader "I'm not happy". Trump had previously described Mojtaba's choice as "unacceptable", as did the Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen calling him "the son of a killed man". Earlier Trump and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz were cautious that the next leader might also be a target for attacks.
In another response, US Senator Lindsey Graham, in his message, said that the "son of that late criminal Ayatollah" is not the change that was expected for the future of the region and the Iranian people. He described Mojtaba Khamenei as a "religious Nazi" and said it's only a matter of time before he meets the same fate as his father.
Now, the manner in which Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as leader, and the use by official television of the title "Ramadan War Wounded", along with the absence of any photos or public appearances, suggest that the third leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken power under mysterious and perhaps difficult circumstances. With the war continuing and public statements by American and Israeli officials about the possibility of targeting Iranian leaders, many observers believe that the political future of Mojtaba Khamenei and his actual role in the power structure is now more than ever linked to field developments and decisions of the "Revolutionary Guard".
