Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, narrowly escaped death during the deadly US-Israeli airstrikes that began on February 28, 2026, according to a leaked audio recording. The recording, obtained by The Telegraph, features Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for the late Khamenei’s office, addressing senior clerics and Revolutionary Guard commanders.
According to Hosseini, Mojtaba had stepped into his compound’s garden to “do something” around 9:30 a.m., just minutes before ballistic missiles struck his home. The strike killed his wife instantly, while Mojtaba suffered only a leg injury.
Hosseini said in the recording: “God’s will was that Mojtaba had to go out to the yard to do something and then return.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, a politician and cleric, succeeded his father, who was killed in the initial wave of airstrikes. He is known to hold significant influence among regime administrators and the Revolutionary Guard.
US President Donald Trump told NBC News he was unsure whether Mojtaba was even alive, saying “so far no one’s been able to show him,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed he had been wounded.
A statement was issued in his name by Iranian state media, vowing to “avenge the blood” of Iranians killed in the strikes, though he did not appear personally in the broadcast, raising further questions about his condition.
