Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei? Iranians Joke Iran’s New Supreme Leader Is ‘AI-Generated’

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 19:08 IST

As the Iran-Israel conflict continues, US reported Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei injured but the latter's absence raises questions amid reported doctored images.

As the conflict between Iran and Israel entered its 15th day, President Donald Trump and US officials have said that new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has been injured in one of the same wave of strikes that killed his father but there are reports of the state social media circulating AI-generated videos of the new leader to drum up support.

On Thursday, a lengthy statement, attributed to Mojtaba, was released but since then he has not appeared in any public event even on his first Friday as leader and Al Quds Day.

CNN quoted a source saying that Mojtaba had suffered a fractured foot, a bruised left eye and minor lacerations to his face on the first day of the US and Israel’s bombardment campaign almost two weeks ago, the same wave of strikes that killed his father and Iran’s top military commanders.

Follow US-Israel-Iran War For Updates

Later, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s son, a government adviser, said Mojtaba was injured but in a safe place and doing well. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he is “likely disfigured".

Meanwhile, Mojtaba’s public absence has raised questions. According to CNN, doctored images of Mojtaba Khamenei as a cardboard cutout sitting in the seat of power have circulated widely on social media, alongside memes mocking the mystery surrounding his whereabouts.

Also Read: ‘Horizontal Escalation’: Why US-Israel War With Iran Could Become Very Costly For The World

Besides, there is also very little footage of the new leader that, CNN reported, government news outlets and state-backed social media channels have resorted to circulating AI-generated videos of him to drum up support.

In the videos, the new leader reportedly could be seen delivering speeches to large crowds and standing beside his father at key moments – scenes that never actually occurred. The other photos showed the elder Khamenei passing on the mantle of the revolution to his son, or Mojtaba embracing the slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

“They’re calling him the AI supreme leader," CNN quoted an Iranian.

Also Read: Meet Merops: The AI Hunter Turning Iran’s Shahed Suicide Drones Into Sitting Ducks

Since past several years, Mojtaba had worked behind the scenes of Iran’s vast political and security apparatus.

However, Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at London’s Chatham House think tank, said: “No visibility does not necessarily undermine legitimacy in the short term, especially if key institutions continue functioning and decisions appear coordinated."

According to CNN, the analysts said what matters most in Tehran right now is not the visibility of the supreme leader, but the cohesion of the institutions beneath him.

News world Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei? Iranians Joke Iran’s New Supreme Leader Is ‘AI-Generated’

Read More