As discussions regarding the health of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei continue, British political activist and analyst Nicholas Lysek has made a sensational claim.
Writing on his X account, he stated that Mojtaba Khamenei is not in critical condition, but rather died in mid-March. According to the analyst, the footage currently being released by Iranian authorities and the official statements about Khamenei's health are part of an internal plan carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“This spectacle is simply a brazen trick executed by the IRGC to confirm Mojtaba's death and bring a more radical supporter into power,” Lysek stated.
He voiced these comments after Iranian media published rare footage of Mojtaba Khamenei on August 9. In the video, Khamenei is seen meeting with a group of individuals. However, questions have emerged regarding when the footage was filmed, and its actual date could not be independently verified.
The New York Post also noted that the released footage failed to resolve lingering questions about Khamenei's real condition.
Previously, Iranian state authorities announced that footage of Khamenei taken during public appearances and meetings with military leaders would be broadcast. The move was seen as an effort to quell growing rumors about his health following his prolonged absence from public view.
Nevertheless, Lysek's claim that Khamenei died in mid-March has not been verified by independent or reliable sources.
On the contrary, according to Reuters, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Mojtaba Khamenei in late July. State media reported that the meeting covered military affairs, the economy, monetary policy, energy consumption, and international economic relations. This report directly contradicts the claim that Khamenei died in March.
Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as the country's supreme leader in March following the death of his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during US and Israeli strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei had not been seen in public for a long period following reports that he was severely injured during those same attacks.
As a result, the claim that Mojtaba Khamenei has died remains unconfirmed. The ongoing uncertainty regarding his health and the actual timing of the video footage continues to fuel speculation surrounding Iran's leadership.
