A member of Iran's Assembly of Experts has offered a new account of the injuries suffered by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei during the opening strikes of the 2026 war.
What Heydari told Al Arabiya
Mohsen Heydari told Al Arabiya, in remarks reported by Iran International on September 26, that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the February 28 attack on the leadership compound. Heydari said that after those responsible for the attack learned Khamenei had been taken to a hospital, three hospitals in Tehran were bombed.
According to Heydari's account, Khamenei was inside the third hospital and was later pulled from beneath the rubble.
Assembly told Khamenei is alive and able to lead
Heydari also said members of the Assembly of Experts subsequently received information that Khamenei was alive and capable of serving as leader. He said the body had determined that Khamenei met its requirements concerning religious scholarship, justice and ability to govern.
Months of uncertainty about his condition
The account adds detail to months of uncertainty surrounding Khamenei's condition and prolonged absence from public view. Other Iranian officials have previously confirmed that he was injured in the February 28 strikes, while later reporting has described his injuries as serious.
What remains unverified
The specific claim that three Tehran hospitals were bombed after Khamenei's location became known, and that he was extracted from rubble at the third hospital, remains Heydari's account. IsraelNews.io has not independently verified the sequence, the targeting rationale or the circumstances of the hospital strikes.
