Mojtaba Khamenei had to be 'pulled from the rubble' of hospital after US strikes nearly killed him a second time: report

Key Points:

• Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was seriously wounded in February strikes targeting his father and was pulled from the rubble of a bombed hospital in Tehran, according to Iranian cleric Mohsen Heydari.
• Despite being injured and hospitalized during multiple bombings, Mojtaba was later chosen as Iran’s new supreme leader by the Assembly of Experts, receiving 50 out of 59 votes in a secret meeting held under difficult circumstances.
• Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly had no prior political position but served as an adviser to his father and was considered qualified to lead Iran; speculation about his health and survival has persisted amid conflicting reports.
• US intelligence suggested Mojtaba was badly disfigured, while former President Trump acknowledged his serious injuries but doubted he was dead; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently stated Mojtaba is “completely” healthy after a private meeting.
• The US and Israel targeted multiple key locations in Tehran during the strikes, including hospitals and the Assembly of Experts’ Qom Secretariat, causing significant casualties and complicating the leadership transition process.