Mojtaba Khamenei escaped death by seconds, leaked audio explains how: Report
According to a report by The Telegraph, the leaked audio captures remarks made during a 12 March meeting of senior Iranian clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly escaped death by seconds during the Israeli missile strike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after stepping out of the compound moments before the attack, according to a report citing leaked audio from an internal Iranian meeting.
A woman holds up a poster of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during the annual anti-Israeli Quds Day in Tehran, Iran. (AP)
The strike, carried out on 28 February as part of Israel's Operation Epic Fury, targeted the Tehran compound of the longtime Iranian leader and killed several senior officials and family members.
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According to a report by The Telegraph, the leaked audio captures remarks made during a 12 March meeting of senior Iranian clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for the late leader's office, reportedly told officials that Mojtaba Khamenei had been inside the building with his father shortly before the attack but stepped outside moments before missiles struck.
"God's will was that Mojtaba had to go out to the yard to do something and then return," Hosseini was quoted as saying in the recording. "He was outside and was heading upstairs when they struck the building with a missile."
Soon after he left the building, Israeli Blue Sparrow ballistic missiles hit the compound, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior officers and relatives, the report said.
Hosseini reportedly told the gathering that at least three missiles were used in the strike. One missile hit the section of the compound where the elder Khamenei was located, while another struck Mojtaba Khamenei's residence on an upper floor. A third missile hit the home of his brother-in-law, Misbah al-Huda Bagheri Kani.
The recording also described the devastating impact of the attack. Hosseini said Iranian military chief Mohammad Shirazi was killed in the strike and that his body was severely damaged.
"He was blown to pieces – they could find nothing from him, and at the end they found a few kilos of flesh and identified it as his body," Hosseini reportedly said.
Another missile struck the residence of Bagheri Kani inside the compound, with Hosseini claiming the blast was so powerful that it "cut his head in half."
According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei escaped the attack with only a minor injury to his leg. However, his wife, identified as Haddad, was killed instantly in the strike.
Another son of the late leader, Mostafa Khamenei, and his wife reportedly survived the attack unharmed.
The leaked audio has surfaced amid growing speculation about Mojtaba Khamenei's condition and whereabouts. The new supreme leader has not appeared publicly since the conflict began, and his absence has fuelled rumours about the severity of his injuries.
Some reports have suggested he may have suffered far more serious injuries, including the loss of a leg and severe internal damage, though these claims have not been confirmed.
What Trump says on Mojtaba Khamenei's health
US President Donald Trump said yesterday (16 March) that American officials were uncertain about the Iranian leader's status.
"A lot of people are saying that he's badly disfigured. They're saying that he lost his leg, one leg, and he's been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he's dead," Trump told reporters.
"We haven't seen him at all. We don't know if he's dead or not," he added.
