PARIS — Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has thanked the people of Iraq for their support in the war against the United States and Israel, according to Iranian media reports on Sunday.
Mojtaba, the son of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei who was killed in an airstrike at the start of the conflict on February 28, has yet to appear publicly since assuming leadership and has issued only a handful of written statements. His absence has fueled speculation about his condition and whereabouts, although state television and some officials have indicated he is recovering from injuries sustained in an airstrike.
In the message, carried by Iranian media, Khamenei expressed appreciation to Iraq’s top Shia authority Ali Sistani and the Iraqi people for their stance against what he described as aggression toward Iran. The message was reportedly delivered following a meeting between the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, though details on how it was transmitted were not disclosed.
Since being named supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has released limited communications, including a statement marking Nowruz, both of which were read on state television by other speakers and projected confidence in Iran’s position in the war. Iranian state media have continued to circulate images of him without confirming whether they are recent, while his official Telegram and X accounts remain active.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington was in contact with a “top person” in Iran but clarified it was not the supreme leader. “We have not heard from the son… We don’t know if he is living,” Trump said, underscoring ongoing uncertainty surrounding Khamenei’s status.
Mojtaba Khamenei is the third supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, succeeding his father and revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
