Speculations that Iran's newly elected Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Ali Khamenei, has been injured in the ongoing war are doing the rounds after the state television described him as “Jaanbaaz”, which translates to “a war veteran, with physical injuries”.
His absence from the public scene has made the speculations even more plausible. He has not been seen publicly since the beginning of the war.
The state television, while reporting about Mojtaba, referred to him as “Jaanbaz of Ramadan”. Jaanbaz means "brave" in Persian; however, in modern Iranian usage, it refers to a war veteran with physical injuries.
A clear reference to the ongoing war in the month of Ramadan has been the only information given out by the state media. No further elaboration has been offered. The term used by the television, though, is being seen as a clue that he is injured.
Mojtaba's father and the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial strikes on Tehran on Feb. 28, carried out by the United States and Israel. It is not clear whether Mojtaba was injured in the strikes, which led to the killing of his father or any other strikes. There were rumours of Mojtaba's killing earlier, but they have been dispelled by the state media.
The 56-year-old Mojtaba was elected to the post of Supreme Leader. He, as per media reports, received 85% of the votes, cast at the Assembly of Experts session held in the city of Qom on Sunday.
The Assembly of Experts is an 88-member clerical body elected for eight-year terms and is responsible for appointing and overseeing Iran's Supreme Leader.
Mojtaba's election as the Supreme Leader has drawn sharp responses from the United States and Israel. US President Donald Trump dismissed Mojtaba as a “lightweight” and “unacceptable” choice, asserting that Iran's new leader was “not going to last long” without a US approval.
Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, has said that any leader chosen by the regime in Iran would be “an unequivocal target for elimination”.
The Iranian Royal Guards Corps, however, has pledged allegiance to their new leader, despite the turbulence. IRGC's support of Mojtaba is being attributed to his time served in the armed forces.
Also Read: Putin Reaffirms Support For Iran, Congratulates Mojtaba Khamenei On Becoming Supreme Leader
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