Iran Releases Rare Mojtaba Khamenei Footage as Questions Over His Health Continue

Tehran: Iran has released a rare and undated video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Ali Khamenei. The footage shows 56-year-old Mojtaba presiding over a religious academic study session. The special thing is that his voice has been heard publicly for the first time in this video. Iran's government agency Fars has shared this footage. However, there has been no independent confirmation of when the video was recorded.

What is Mojtaba Khamenei seen doing in the video?

In the video, Mojtaba is seen listening to a student presenting his thesis. After the presentation he also evaluates the student's work. According to reports, he gave the thesis 19.5 marks out of 20 and described the work as extremely good. In the video, he is also heard discussing with the students the 'Islamic Security Model' proposed by the Iranian regime.

Why is it considered important for Mojtaba's voice to come forward?

Mojtaba has been rarely seen in public for a long time. In such a situation, this footage with his voice is being considered important because there has been continuous speculation about his health and actual condition. Iranian media have released few videos featuring him in recent months, but his voice is clearly heard in the new footage.

Does the video confirm his current health?

The video does not provide concrete confirmation of Mojtaba's current health condition, as the date and location of its recording have not been made public. Some reports have described it as old or archive footage and it is also said that it is possible that it was recorded before he became the Supreme Leader. Therefore, it would be premature to consider this video as conclusive evidence of his current condition.

What claims had surfaced earlier regarding Mojtaba's health?

After the death of his father and Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the American-Israeli attacks on February 28, various reports had emerged regarding Mojtaba's health. Some reports claimed that Mojtaba was injured during the attack. Iranian officials, on the other hand, presented a different picture of their situation. In May an Iranian health official said he suffered superficial injuries to his face, head and legs and no serious complications.

Why has Mojtaba Khamenei stayed away from public life?

After the death of Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba was elected the new Supreme Leader of Iran in March. Since then he has rarely appeared in public events. His limited public presence raised questions about his health as well as his active role in Iran's ruling system. However, Iranian officials say he is active in taking decisions on important matters.

Iran has already released Mojtaba's video?

Yes. In early August, Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency also released a short and undated video of Mojtaba. In that he was seen conversing with some people. The date and location of that footage were also not made clear. The emergence of a new video has once again intensified the discussion that the Iranian leadership is trying to answer the questions being raised regarding Mojtaba's activism and status.

What questions still remain despite the video?

The biggest question is when was the new video recorded and whether it reflects Mojtaba's current condition. Since the date of recording is not made public, it is difficult to draw any definite conclusions on his health with its help. However, the emergence of his voice in the footage is definitely a new development in the ongoing discussion regarding the public visibility of Iran's Supreme Leader.