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Iran\u2019s newly installed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly recovering from severe injuries and may require plastic surgery after an airstrike that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei.<\/span><\/p>\n The attack, which also killed his wife and son, has left the 56-year-old leader physically debilitated, largely isolated, and increasingly reliant on hardline military commanders to govern, according to the New York Times, citing senior Iranian officials.<\/span><\/p>\n Khamenei has been cut off from most officials as he recovers, surrounded primarily by medical staff amid concerns that revealing his location could make him a target, according to the report. Despite his condition, officials say he remains mentally alert and continues to weigh in on major decisions, though day-to-day authority has increasingly shifted toward hardline military commanders.<\/span><\/p>\n Questions about his health have intensified in recent weeks. Since being selected by Iran\u2019s Assembly of Experts following his father\u2019s death in March, Khamenei has not made a public appearance, with only written statements released in his name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Times reported that his injuries include significant damage to one leg and one hand, requiring multiple surgeries, as well as severe facial burns that have limited his ability to speak and could likely necessitate reconstructive surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n Iranian regime officials have reportedly taken dramatic steps to conceal Khamenei\u2019s location from the United States and Israel. The regime is relying on handwritten messages delivered through a network of trusted couriers traveling by car and motorcycle to avoid detection.<\/span><\/p>\n Born into Iran\u2019s ruling elite, Khamenei followed a path that blended religious study with military involvement. As a teenager, he joined an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps brigade known as the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War. He later completed his education at a theological seminary, attaining the rank of ayatollah, and worked closely within his father\u2019s inner circle, helping coordinate military and intelligence operations.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite his influence behind the scenes, he has never held elected office or served in a formal senior government role. He has also faced international scrutiny, including sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department in 2019, and has been accused of involvement in the regime\u2019s crackdown on the 2009 Green Movement protests.<\/span><\/p>\n The elder Khamenei was selected as supreme leader following the death of the Islamic Republic\u2019s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who overthrew Iran\u2019s dynastic shah during the 1979 revolution. With his son now assuming the position, the transition has raised questions about whether the Islamic Republic is drifting toward another form of dynastic rule.<\/p>\n His rise to power followed the sudden killing of his father on the first day of the United States and Israel\u2019s attack on the Iranian regime. But unlike his father \u2014 who maintained a tight grip over nearly all aspects of the government and the IRGC \u2014 Khamenei lacks the same religious authority and political stature and appears far more dependent on military leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n With Khamenei sidelined by his injuries, hardline generals have taken on a dominant role in decision-making, shaping Iran\u2019s posture at a critical moment. Their growing influence is believed to have played a role in Tehran\u2019s refusal to participate in a second round of talks with American officials in Pakistan this week.<\/span><\/p>\n Following the Times report, senior Iranian officials moved quickly to project unity, issuing closely aligned statements reaffirming loyalty to the regime \u2014 even as military leaders are reportedly taking on a larger role in decision-making. President <\/span>Masoud Pezeshkian<\/span><\/a> insisted there are no internal divisions, writing, \u201cIn Iran there are no \u2018hardliners\u2019 or \u2018moderates\u2019\u2026 only unity and obedience to the Supreme Leader,\u201d while Parliament Speaker <\/span>Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf<\/span><\/a> and judiciary chief <\/span>Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje\u2019i<\/span><\/a> echoed the same message.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n