Ali Khamenei Is In Coma? Here Is What To Know (image @Khamenei_fa)
Tehran, Iran: Amidst heightened tension between Israel and Iran, speculations loom large that the health of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, is deteriorating. Unsourced reports shared largely on social media claim that the 85-year-old is reportedly in a coma. Some claim that he is dead. Iran has not responded to the claims. At the same time, the Supreme Leader posted a picture of himself meeting an Iranian ambassador.
Israeli media outlet Ynet News reported that Khamenei is suffering from a severe illness. The media outlet cited Iran International, while reporting. There have also been unsourced reports on social media that he was either in a coma or dead.
However, misinformation researcher Tal Hagin has pointed out that some of the images flooding social media are from 2014.
Report on The New York Times also added steam to the boiling rumours. The outlet reported that the ageing Iranian leader is “seriously ill”. But Iranian authorities have neither denied nor confirmed these claims.
A day after the reports on the coma, the Supreme Leader on Sunday (17 November) posted a picture with an Iranian ambassador. The image posted on Khamenei’s X account shows him talking to Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani in his office.
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“Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, met and talked with Mr Mojtaba Amani, the veteran ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon, at noon today, on the sidelines of his daily meetings,” he wrote in Persian.
ظهر امروز یکشنبه ۲۷ آبان ۱۴۰۳؛ دیدار و گفتوگو با آقای مجتبی امانی، سفیر جانباز جمهوری اسلامی ایران در لبنان pic.twitter.com/ctIRbi9bVA
— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی 🇮🇷 (@Khamenei_fa) November 17, 2024
Amani was among those injured in Beirut in September in the pager blast incident which was attributed to Israel. According to an official statement, Amani presented a report of his latest health status to the Supreme Leader. Both the leaders look well in the latest image.
Quoting Iran International, Ynetews reported that Khamenei has already picked his son Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor. He is the second son of the Supreme leader, and was reportedly selected during a secret meeting of the Assembly of Experts on September 26.
Ayatollah Khamenei called for an unusual meeting in September where 60 members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts convened. They were instructed to decide on the succession immediately. While the gathering was a top secret, the members were not giving any notice about what was expected of them, said the report.
According to the Israeli media report, the meeting and the decision were kept a secret because of the fears of widespread protests over the succession plan and the undemocratic process in which the next leader was picked. Those who attended were warned that any leaks would have repercussions.
Mojtaba Khamenei
Some sources familiar with the meeting have said that there is a possibility that Ayatollah might hand over the reins to his son during his lifetime, as this might make the transition smoother. They believe that this could help secure Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership and curb any opposition that might arise after the Supreme Leader’s death, the Ynet report says.
Mojtaba Khamenei has largely stayed out of the public eye. Over the past two years, he has gained significance in Tehran. Mojtaba Khamenei has become more active in Iranian politics and has played a role in decision-making in the regime.
In 2021, Mojtaba Khamenei was granted the title of ayatollah, which is a constitutional requirement to serve as Iran’s supreme leader.
Iran has not made any formal announcement on the succession. The reports of Ayatollah’s health and selection of Mojtaba remain speculative.
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Khamenei was seen on 7 November when he addressed the sixth session of the Assembly of Experts of the Leadership within the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah, a mosque in Tehran. He also met university students in Tehran on 2 November.
One of his most-talked-about appearances of the leader in 2024 was the sermon he gave on October 5 after Iran launched over 180 missiles in Israel. the sermon was a first in five years. Addressing tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei called its missile strikes on Israel as a “public service”. He said Israel “won’t last long” as he backed the Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel.
As per Iran’s Constitution, the Supreme Leader is responsible for the “general policies” of the Islamic Republic. He is the final authority on domestic and foreign policies. The Supreme Leader is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and controls the Islamic Republic’s intelligence and security operations. He also decides whether to declare war or give a call for peace.
Khamenei is the most powerful and influential figure in Iran. He is the longest-serving head of state in West Asia. The leader took over as Supreme Leader in 1989 when he was serving as the president of Iran.
The Supreme Court comes first in power, and President comes second.
Ayatollah Khamenei succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after he died. Ruhollah Khamenei was known as the father of the Iranian Revolution. The two are the only men who have held the post since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
(With inputs from agencies)
