Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will reportedly require a prosthetic leg after being wounded in the same airstrike that killed his father, according to The New York Times, citing multiple senior Iranian officials familiar with his health.
The paper reported Mojtaba Khamenei was severely wounded during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury in February.
“Though Mr. Khamenei was gravely wounded, he is mentally sharp and engaged,” the report said, citing four senior Iranian officials.
One of his legs required three surgeries, and he is now reportedly awaiting a prosthetic.
The officials added that his face and lips were severely burned in the strike, and one of his hands was injured.
He also reportedly has difficulty speaking.
The Times also reported that Mojtaba Khamenei has not yet delivered a public address to his country and has avoided being seen.
He has been using handwritten messages and relying on couriers to get them out to the public.
That bombing run ultimately resulted in the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.
The elder Khamenei had ruled Iran for more than three decades before he was killed alongside other top Iranian leaders.
He did not choose a successor, but his son was ultimately chosen to replace him.
As The Hill noted at the time, the first wave of U.S. and Israeli bombs killed an estimated 200 people, many of them who were top leaders.
The operation remains halted after nearly two weeks of negotiations and President Donald Trump’s attempts to end the conflict and secure a lasting peace.
Trump has been clear for years that Iran must not be allowed by the rest of the world to obtain nuclear weapons.
The president shot down reports on Thursday that he is nervous about the conflict dragging on.
“For those people, fewer in number now than ever before, that are reading The Failing New York Times, or watching Fake News CNN, that think that I am ‘anxious’ to end the War,” he wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking!”
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