‘Gay’ rumours, impotency claims… what we know about Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei

The new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly recovering from secret surgery in Moscow as global leaders and intelligence agencies speculate on the severity of his injuries and his ability to govern.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly been airlifted to Russia for emergency surgery following the February 28 airstrike that killed his father and several family members. According to the Kuwaiti outlet Al-Jarida, the 59-year-old was smuggled out of Tehran on a Russian military aircraft under a secret pact between President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The report claims Mojtaba is currently convalescing at a high-security medical facility within a presidential residence in Moscow after a “successful” procedure to treat serious injuries to his legs and arm. While the Kremlin remains silent, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed the reports as propaganda, insisting the leader is in “perfect health” and “fully managing the situation.”

The shroud of secrecy surrounding Mojtaba’s health has invited scathing speculation from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters last week, “I don’t know if he’s even alive… if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender.” This skepticism was echoed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who claimed U.S. intelligence suggests the new leader is “wounded and likely disfigured.” Hegseth pointed to the lack of video or audio in Mojtaba’s recent written statement as a sign of incapacitation, mocking the regime’s leadership for “cowering underground like rats” while the country faces an unprecedented military onslaught.

Adding to the leader’s difficult start are resurfaced diplomatic cables from WikiLeaks that have fueled rumors regarding his physical fitness. The leaked U.S. cables allege that Mojtaba previously struggled with fertility issues, requiring multiple “secret” trips to London’s elite Wellington and Cromwell Hospitals for treatment. The documents mockingly described him as “so soft” that he needed months of specialized care before successfully fathering a child. These historical claims are now being weaponized by critics to question his “virility” and strength at a time when he has vowed to lead a “holy war” of revenge against the United States and Israel.

READ THE FULL STORY IN DAILY STAR