Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei? Russian Envoy Shares Update On Iran Supreme Leader's Whereabouts

Last Updated:April 01, 2026, 01:43 IST

Russian envoy says Iran supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in Iran but avoiding public view, amid rumors he is dead or wounded and IRGC holds real power, AI images fuel jokes

As the Iran war enters its second month, questions have arisen over the disappearance of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. While the new Supreme Leader has issued various statements, he has yet to be seen in public.

Amid speculations, Russian ambassador to Iran Alexey Dedov shared a bid update about Khamenei’s whereabouts, saying that the Supreme Leader is in Iran but is refraining from making public appearances “for understandable reasons".

While speaking to global Russian-language outlet RTVI, Dedov said that Khamenei is currently in Iran and has not travelled abroad for medical treatment. He added that the Iranian leadership has repeatedly maintained that the new leader remains in the country but is avoiding public appearances for security reasons.

After Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in strikes on February 28, Tehran announced that his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, would take over as the new supreme leader. However, his current condition remains unclear. He has not appeared in public since being named successor. His March 12 statement and his Nowruz message on March 20 were both delivered through state media, raising further questions about his condition and whereabouts.

US officials have said he was wounded during the war. Reports also indicate that Iran’s Guard and other military units are operating without a clear central command.

Last week, US President Donald Trump questioned whether Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader is alive or not.

While addressing an event in Miami last week, Trump repeated that Iran’s leadership had been eliminated, saying, “No, their leaders are dead. Their supreme leader is no longer supreme. He’s dead. The son is either dead or in very bad shape because nobody’s heard from him."

Meanwhile, recent assessments from Israeli and US officials suggest he is alive but may not be firmly in control of Iran’s leadership. Two sources told The Jerusalem Post that real power appears to rest with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps currently.

Iranians Joke Iran’s New Supreme Leader Is ‘AI-Generated’

Meanwhile, Mojtaba’s public absence has raised questions. According to CNN, doctored images of Mojtaba Khamenei as a cardboard cutout sitting in the seat of power have circulated widely on social media, alongside memes mocking the mystery surrounding his whereabouts.

Besides, there is also very little footage of the new leader that, CNN reported, government news outlets and state-backed social media channels have resorted to circulating AI-generated videos of him to drum up support.

In the videos, the new leader reportedly could be seen delivering speeches to large crowds and standing beside his father at key moments – scenes that never actually occurred. The other photos showed the elder Khamenei passing on the mantle of the revolution to his son, or Mojtaba embracing the slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

“They’re calling him the AI supreme leader," CNN quoted an Iranian.

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