'Trick used by enemy': Mojtaba Khamenei's aide shuts downs rumours about Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's health

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in “perfect health” despite injuries, according to Ayatollah Mohsen Qomi, Member of the Assembly of Experts and the Deputy for International Affairs in the office of the Supreme Leader of Iran. He mentioned that such tactics were used by the West to provoke reactions and spread rumours.

Qomi said Mojtaba had been inside the same building that was later bombed, where others lost their lives, but had stepped into the courtyard just minutes before the explosion, which he described as an act of God that spared him.

“Currently, he is in perfect health and is actively managing affairs. He oversees matters related to negotiations and field operations with his direct supervision. Recently, he even gave specific instructions to the negotiating team regarding what actions to take under various conditions. He has full command over the situation,” Fars News agency quoted Qomi as saying.

He stated, “Some people ask about the health status of His Eminence the Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei. This is a trick used by the enemy, who wants to say, 'Why is he not present? Why doesn't he send an audio or video message? Why don't the people who have visited him come forward and speak?' They want to use these questions to force us into reacting, so they can achieve their goals."

"Right now, the most important issue for us is to help preserve the life of His Eminence the Leader, who is currently the Proof of God on earth. And I assure you that despite the injuries he sustained there, Almighty God preserved him as a treasure for the Shia," he further said.

Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia, Deputy Representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India on Tuesday told ANI that the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was in a "good situation and fine".

However, The New York Times reported that Mojtaba Khamenei has largely stayed out of public view since the February 28 airstrikes on the compound of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, where he had been living. The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of his wife and son.

Since then, access to Mojtaba Khamenei has been tightly restricted, with only a small group, mainly medical staff, allowed to see him as he recovers from injuries sustained in the strikes, according to the report.

“Their economy is crashing, the blockade is incredible. Their economy is a disaster. So we’ll see how long they hold out," Trump said at the White House, as per Bloomberg.

Oil prices stabilised after a sharp rise on Thursday, as there were few indications that Washington and Tehran were nearing an agreement. The US reinforced its blockade stance, while strong rhetoric from Iran’s new leadership added to market uncertainty.

Brent crude oil futures briefly climbed to $126 per barrel, their highest level since the conflict started, before closing around $114. By early Friday, July delivery contracts were trading near $111 per barrel.

Traders are increasingly pricing in the risk of renewed fighting and a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments that has remained largely shut since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28.

(With inputs from ANI)