Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei survived a devastating missile strike by just seconds .because he stepped outside to do something in the yard at exactly the right moment. Leaked audio has now revealed chilling new details about how close Iran came to losing both its old and new leaders in a single deadly morning.
What the Leaked Audio Reveals
A recording obtained by The Telegraph captures Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking to senior clerics and political leaders inside Iran. In the recording, Hosseini describes the terrifying sequence of events that unfolded on the morning of February 28, 2025, at the Tehran compound where the Khamenei family lived.
“God’s will was that Mojtaba had to go out to the yard to do something and then return,” Hosseini says in the recording. “He was outside and was heading upstairs when they struck the building with a missile. His wife, Ms. Haddad, was martyred instantly.” The compound housed not just the Ayatollah but also the homes of his children, including Mojtaba, whose residence was on an upper floor of the complex.
A Coordinated and Devastating Strike
Hosseini described a precisely coordinated attack that targeted multiple locations within the compound at the same time. “These devils had considered several locations within the office complex to strike — one of them was the place of the supreme leader. They hit that location with three missiles,” he said in the recording.
The strikes also destroyed the residence below Mojtaba’s home, which belonged to his brother-in-law. Hosseini described the force of the missiles as catastrophic, saying one blast decapitated Ali Khamenei’s brother-in-law. Mojtaba’s wife and teenage son were both killed. The new supreme leader himself reportedly suffered a serious leg injury during the attack.
Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei Now?
Since the February 28 strikes, Mojtaba Khamenei has completely disappeared from public view. No verified photos, video footage, or public statements have emerged from him in the weeks that followed. The silence has fueled intense speculation inside Iran and across the world about his true condition.
Reports from last week suggested he had fallen into a coma and may have lost at least one leg as a result of his injuries. Other accounts claimed he also suffered serious damage to his stomach or liver. None of these reports have been officially confirmed by the Iranian government, which has stayed largely silent on the matter.
Putin Steps In — Reports of Moscow Surgery
A report published this weekend by Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida alleged that Mojtaba Khamenei was secretly flown to Moscow for emergency leg surgery. According to the report, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally offered medical assistance, and the operation was carried out at one of Putin’s presidential palaces. The surgery was described as “successful,” though independent verification of these claims remains impossible.
The possible involvement of Russia in Khamenei’s medical recovery is significant. It would signal a deepening of the already close relationship between Tehran and Moscow, two nations that have grown increasingly aligned on military and geopolitical matters in recent years. According to Reuters, Russia and Iran have maintained strong defense and economic ties, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine.
A Leader Named but Never Seen
Mojtaba Khamenei was officially named Iran’s Supreme Leader on March 8, 2025, replacing his father who died in the airstrike. But being named a leader and actually leading are two very different things. In the weeks since his appointment, no official statement, image, or address has come from the new supreme leader. Iran’s government has offered no timeline for when or if he will appear publicly.
The uncertainty is destabilizing. Iran is a country already under enormous pressure from international sanctions, a battered economy, and an ongoing nuclear standoff with the West. A supreme leader who cannot be seen — and may not be able to govern — creates a dangerous power vacuum at exactly the wrong time.
The Bigger Picture
The leaked audio, the reported injuries, and the mysterious trip to Moscow all point to one uncomfortable reality for Iran. The man now legally in charge of 93 million people survived the strike that reshaped his country’s future but only by stepping outside at the right moment. Whether he is healthy enough to lead, where he currently is, and who is actually making decisions inside the Iranian government right now are questions the world is watching very closely.
Until Mojtaba Khamenei appears in public and proves otherwise, those questions will only grow louder.