Mojtaba Khamenei ‘Unconscious’ in Qom? Intel Leak Raises Questions Over Iran’s Power Vacuum

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, is reportedly incapacitated and undergoing medical treatment in the holy city of Qom after being wounded in US-Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.

A diplomatic memo, understood to be based on US and Israeli intelligence and shared with Gulf allies, suggests that Khamenei is unconscious and suffering from a “severe" medical condition, leaving him unable to carry out decision-making responsibilities.

It is the first time the location of Iran’s supreme leader has been revealed. The central city of Qom lies about 87 miles or around 140 kilometres south of Tehran and is considered sacred in Shia Islam as the religious capital of the Islamic republic.

"Mojtaba Khamenei is being treated in Qom in a severe condition, unable to be involved in any decision-making by the regime," the document, believed to be based on American and Israeli intelligence shared with Gulf allies, read.

According to the report by The Times, the memo also indicates preparations for the burial of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike at the start of the war.

Is Mojtaba Khamenei Set to Be Buried in Qom Alongside Family Members?

Intelligence agencies have reportedly observed groundwork activity to construct a large mausoleum in Qom, possibly containing more than one grave.

The document suggests that additional members of the Khamenei family, and potentially Mojtaba himself, could be buried alongside the late leader.

The report further states that US and Israeli intelligence agencies were believed to have known about Mojtaba Khamenei’s location for some time, though details had not previously been made public.

So far, neither Washington nor Tehran has issued any statement on the claims made in the report.

Iran has confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the same airstrike that killed his father, his mother, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel, and one of his sons on the first day of the war, the report said.

The new Supreme Leader has not been seen or heard from in public since the start of the war, despite being chosen to succeed his father in early March.

Two statements attributed to him have been read on Iranian state television, while an AI-generated video showing him entering a war room and analysing a map of Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility was released earlier this week.

While Iranian officials have maintained that the new supreme leader remains "in charge" of the country, earlier reports have pointed to his medical condition.

US reports have claimed he is being treated in a coma in a hospital, while others have suggested he suffered a broken leg and facial injuries.