Mojtaba Khamenei health rumours: Iran releases new video, but when was it filmed?
Iran has released a 12-second, undated video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid reports of serious illness, but the footage does not independently establish his current health condition.
The short clip shows Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei seated and speaking with several officials and advisers. (Screengrab/image enhanced using AI)
The footage does not establish when or where it was recorded, making it impossible to independently determine whether it reflects his current condition.
What does the video clip show?
The short clip shows Khamenei seated and speaking with several officials and advisers. He appears composed, but the footage provides no independent evidence about his current health. Mehr said the footage was the first video of Khamenei it had released since he became Supreme Leader.
The agency did not disclose when or where the video was filmed.
Why are there health concerns in the first place?
Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran’s Supreme Leader in March, after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli strikes. He has largely remained out of public view since assuming the position, with Iranian authorities communicating through statements and attributed messages rather than regular public appearances.
That prolonged absence has fuelled persistent rumours. Khamenei’s prolonged absence from public view has fuelled speculation about his health and whereabouts. Reports from Iranian opposition-linked outlets and Israeli media have made claims about his condition, including unverified reports of hospitalisation. None of those claims has been independently verified.
Israeli media outlets, including Channel 14, have gone further, claiming Khamenei was recently hospitalised and remains in an extremely critical state, with some reports suggesting he could die within days. None of these claims has been independently verified.
Has Iran confirmed anything?
The release comes as Iranian and international media reports have raised questions about Khamenei’s health. However, Tehran has not announced that he is ill, hospitalised or unable to perform his duties.
An Iranian pro-government demonstrator holds a poster of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in a gathering at a square in Tehran, Iran (AP Photo)
US President Donald Trump has also commented on Khamenei’s status, saying recently that he remained “completely involved” in matters related to negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Khamenei assumed the role of Supreme Leader at a moment of extraordinary upheaval, following the killing of his father and other family members in the opening strikes of the US-Iran war. Questions about Khamenei’s health have persisted since he emerged as Supreme Leader after the war began, with early Iranian reports describing him as “wounded” without providing details.
The renewed health speculation comes as Iran remains locked in high-stakes negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and continues to face pressure on multiple fronts across the region. For now, the video confirms only that Iranian state-linked media has released footage purporting to show Khamenei. Without a date, location or independent verification, it cannot establish his current health condition.
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The short clip shows Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei seated and speaking with several officials and advisers. (Screengrab/image enhanced using AI) 
