Fact Check: Is the photo claiming to show injured Mojtaba Khamenei in hospital bed real?
TEHRAN, IRAN: A photo has been circulating on social media platforms showing Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, injured and lying in a hospital bed. The image spread as the conflict in the Middle East between the United States-Israel and Iran continues to escalate. Let us analyze the viral photograph and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Photo shows injured Mojtaba Khamenei in a hospital bed
The viral image shows Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei, lying in a hospital bed with his arms and legs bandaged.
The image surfaced days after reports emerged that the new Khamenei was severely injured in an attack by the US and Israel.
The image that spread on various social media platforms, including Facebook and X, has been reshared several times, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of likes.
The comments under the post even suggest that users believe the image to be authentic.
Fact Check: Fake, the image is AI-generated
The image, however, is not authentic and was found to be generated using Artificial Intelligence. An analysis of the image using an AI detection tool called Hive Moderation indicates that almost a hundred percent of the image was generated using AI.
The image reveals anomalies in its various visual elements, such as unusually smooth skin, which are typical hallmarks of AI-generated content.
Despite reports regarding his injury, a reverse search for the image reveals that no prominent media outlets or official social media of the Islamic Republic have shared the image, which, if true, would have been widely published by credible news media outlets in the US and the Middle East.
Khamenei thanks Iranians amid the war
Khamenei has extended his gratitude to the Iranians and their religious leadership for their support of the war against the United States and Israel, Iranian media reported on Sunday, March 29.
The statement marked a rare communication from the leader, whose public absence in recent weeks has triggered widespread questions about his safety and the current state of Iranian leadership.
The message specifically referenced Ali Sistani, a prominent religious figure in Shia Islam, according to reports from AFP.
This message was relayed following a high-level meeting between the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad and Iraq’s Islamic Supreme Council, though no further details were provided as to how the message was transmitted.
