Fact Check: Did Mojtaba Khamenei die from his injuries following US-Israel airstrike?
TEHRAN, IRAN: Amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, a claim has been spreading rapidly on social media platforms that the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in the US-Israel airstrikes and has succumbed to his injuries, sparking speculations and confusion. Let us analyze the rumors and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Mojtaba Khamenei has succumbed to his injuries
Just a day after being appointed as the Supreme Leader of Iran following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a rumor has been circulating online that the new Mojtaba Khamenei was killed in a recent airstrike conducted by the United States and Israel on the afternoon of March 9.
The claim has been widely shared, with many believing it to be true while a few others remain skeptical.
The claim, which spread on various social media platforms including X, Facebook, and Instagram, has garnered millions of views.
Fact Check: Unconfirmed, claim could not be independently verified
However, there is no official confirmation that Mojtaba Khamenei is dead. The viral posts about the Supreme Leader’s death also mention that official confirmation from Tehran is still awaited.
There are also no credible reports or official statements from the US or Israel announcing the death of Mojtaba Khamenei.
There are reports about the Khamenei being injured, but the extent of the injury is unknown, although some Israeli media claimed it to be fatal.
No prominent news outlets such as Reuters, Al Jazeera, or CNN have reported on the claim; therefore, it is rated as unverified.
Grok, the AI assistant of X, stated, “False. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Feb 28, 2026. His son Mojtaba was reportedly wounded earlier but survived, was named new Supreme Leader by Iran's Assembly of Experts on March 8-9, and is now directing Iran's missile responses."
"No official confirmation of Mojtaba's death; video shows strikes on Tehran, not his death.”
Donald Trump unhappy with the appointment of the new Supreme Leader
Iran rebuffed President Donald Trump’s bid to shape its leadership and moved ahead with choosing Mojtaba Khamenei as the Supreme Leader amid ongoing regional conflict.
The Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 religious leaders, confirmed the appointment by a large majority vote.
In response to the appointment, Trump reacted cautiously, saying he is 'not happy.'
Speaking to ABC News, Trump said, “He’s going to have to get approval from us…If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it.”
