As health rumors continue to hover over his head, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei channeled his online presence on Sunday to respond to claims of him falling ill. The picture he posted on his X account is that of the 85-year-old leader in his office, meeting Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani. The picture has widely been talked about, especially given unverified social media reports claiming that Khamenei falls in a coma.
Picture in Response to Health Rumors
The photo caption reads, “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 sides of his daily meetings.”. These rumors took more energy when several reports fueled by speculation reported that the Supreme Leader had collapsed into a coma or had clandestinely declared his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor.
The ambassador in the above photograph is Mojtaba Amani. He was one of those injured last September following an explosion caused by walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. About 3,000 people were injured from the blast.
Khamenei’s First Public Sermon in Five Years
The speculation surrounding Khamenei’s health comes amid a series of political developments in the region. In October, Khamenei gave his first public sermon in five years, in which he addressed the situation with Israel. Tensions had escalated following a missile strike in which Iran launched 180 missiles at Israel’s key infrastructure.
In this sermon, Khamenei repeated his statement of support for Iran toward Hamas and Hezbollah, organizations with which Tehran has historical associations. Brandishing a machine gun while speaking, Khamenei declared that Israel will not defeat Hamas and Hezbollah and commended the assassinated former leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
Guessing the Successor of Khamenei
The photo of Khamenei meeting Ambassador Amani at a time when whispers were getting louder concerning the succession of Iranian leadership only stirred more noise. Some reports say that Mojtaba, 55-year-old son of Khamenei, had already been handpicked to succeed his father as the next Supreme Leader in a private session, though such reports have yet to be confirmed. Still, it has further fueled speculations about his health and what is next for Iran’s leadership.
The public appearance of Ayatollah Khamenei and the image circulating in social media thus seems to be in direct response to the speculation surrounding his health. However, things remain fluid, with a great deal of speculation that a change in leadership in Iran is within the offing.
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