Iran says Khamenei suffered only ‘superficial’ wounds in February airstrikes

Iran's Health Ministry on Monday publicly detailed for the first time the injuries sustained by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during the February 28 US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, describing them as minor and dismissing months of international reports that he had been critically wounded or disfigured.

Official Account Contradicts Reports of Severe Injuries

Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour told Iran's state-affiliated ILNA news agency that Khamenei sustained injuries to his face, head, and legs during the strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but said they required minimal medical intervention.freemalaysiatoday+2

"Aside from superficial injuries to the face, head, and legs — which resulted in no amputations or particular complications — nothing significant had happened, and from my perspective as a physician, these were not considered major injuries and did not require special treatment, except for one or two stitches," Kermanpour said. He added that the 56-year-old was discharged from hospital in the early hours of March 1.thenews+2

The statement directly contradicts earlier reporting by The New York Times, which reported that Khamenei's face and lips were severely burned, that one of his legs had been operated on three times, and that he was awaiting a prosthetic limb. In the weeks following the strikes, sources cited by multiple outlets claimed Khamenei was in a coma at Sina University Hospital and had lost at least one leg.unn+2

Months of Speculation Over Absence

Mojtaba Khamenei was named Supreme Leader on March 8 following his father's death in the strikes but has not appeared publicly since. His first address to the nation on March 13 was delivered through a television presenter rather than in person, prompting questions among Iranians about who was actually governing the country.bbc+1

In early May, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had met Khamenei in person for two and a half hours — the first public confirmation that a senior official had seen the leader since his appointment. A senior official in the Supreme Leader's office, Mazaher Hosseini, separately stated that Khamenei is in "perfect health" and was merely knocked down by a blast wave.euronews+1

Broader Context

The confirmation comes as Iran continues diplomatic negotiations with the United States amid the ongoing regional conflict. Iranian officials have accused the country's adversaries of spreading rumors about Khamenei's condition to undermine governance during the crisis. Whether Monday's disclosure will quiet speculation remains to be seen — the Supreme Leader has now gone nearly three months without a public appearance, and no photographs or video have been released showing his current state.thenews+1