Iran's Khamenei in perfect health, says President Pezeshkian in New York

Amid rising military tension between Iran and Israel-US, speculation had been swirling for months worldwide over the health and even the survival of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei. American and Israeli media in particular had claimed that Khamenei was seriously ill and that vital organs in his body had stopped functioning. US President Donald Trump himself had also raised questions about Mojtaba's health.

But Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), has put a full stop to all these rumours. Speaking to international and American journalists in New York, Pezeshkian gave an official update on Khamenei's health. He said, "Exactly a month ago I personally met Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei. His health is absolutely fine and all the vital organs of his body are completely intact." Amid war-like conditions in West Asia and US pressure, the Iranian president's clarification is being seen as highly significant.

Speaking further to journalists, President Pezeshkian described the meeting in detail. He said, "I spoke continuously with Mojtaba for about seven to eight hours. The two of us sat together on cushions at the same place and discussed important decisions concerning the country at great ease. In between the conversation, we also walked for a while." Questioning the claims made by Western media, he said, "How can a person who can sit and discuss such deep matters continuously for eight hours be ill?"

Pezeshkian made clear that claims of Mojtaba's hand being amputated or of him being bedridden are merely false rumours and propaganda. He told American journalists with full confidence, "I have seen him myself, touched him and had a long conversation with him."

Journalists directly asked Pezeshkian whether Iran was attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump. The president completely rejected this claim. He said, "Iran never thinks about such political assassinations, it is not our culture. But America certainly thought of targeting Iran's supreme leadership and pushed us into war." He further said that Iran is aware of the major damage caused by US military actions and economic sanctions, and that America could cause further damage in future. Even so, Pezeshkian warned that no matter how difficult the circumstances, the people and leadership of Iran will never bow before Washington's bullying policies.

Notably, after the death of Iran's former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a committee of 50 clerics holding voting rights elected Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader in March. But for security reasons, Mojtaba has never appeared in public since taking charge as supreme leader and has remained entirely underground. Neither the US intelligence agency CIA nor Israel's Mossad have so far found any confirmed lead on his whereabouts. Even so, final approval on all of Iran's major military, political and economic decisions rests with Mojtaba, and statements are issued regularly in his name through social media and government channels. President Pezeshkian's statement now appears to have put to rest the storm of doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's health.