Speculation rises over Mojtaba Khamenei’s health
Speculation over the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei grew on Wednesday after the son of Iran’s president mentioned hearing news about him “being injured”.
Mojtaba, 56, is the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He long has been a secretive figure within Iran. His father and wife both were killed in an Israeli airstrike Feb 28 that started the war.
Mojtaba has not been seen since, nor has he given any statement since becoming the supreme leader on Monday.
In an overnight post on the app Telegram, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote: “I heard news about Mr Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said, thank God, he is healthy and there is no problem.” Israeli intelligence assessment indicates Iran's new top leader wounded at the start of the war.
Israel believes Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Motjaba Khamenei, was wounded during the start of the war.
That's according to an Israeli intelligence official and a reservist with knowledge of the situation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter with the media. They gave no details on the nature of the injuries.
Lebanon must act against Hezbollah
Ambassador Danny Danon said Israel always prefers diplomacy and talks with the Lebanese government will continue, “but now they have to choose to actually confront Hezbollah — they have to stop Hezbollah.”
“They have to choose — either they confront Hezbollah or they let us do it,” he said. “There is no other option.” Danon was asked by UN reporters ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council meeting on Lebanon how long its military operation would last. “As long as there will be a threat against us, we will operate,” he replied. Lebanon’s cash-strapped military, backed by the U.S. and other governments, has been deploying in recent months across southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah has a strong military presence, but it’s unclear if they are able or willing to disarm the Iran-backed militant group.
Putin speaks with UAE leader
Russia’s President Putin spoke about the war on Wednesday with the UAE president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Kremlin said in a readout that the leaders “continued their exchange of views on the dangerously deteriorating situation in the Middle East, which has grave consequences for Iran and the Arab countries.”
In his second call with Al Nahyan since the start of the Iran war, Putin emphasized “the need to stop the further escalation of the conflict and settle it through talks.” He also thanked Al Nahyan for offering assistance and support to Russian citizens in the UAE.
