Iran releases rare video of Mojtaba Khamenei after reports of deteriorating health

Video aired by Mehr News Agency shows supreme leader surrounded by several people

Iran on Sunday released a rare video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei after reports suggested that he was in critical condition.

The video aired by the semi-official Mehr News Agency showed Mojtaba surrounded by several people and appeared to be speaking to them.

Mehr did not specify when or where the video was recorded, nor did it identify the people accompanying him.

The agency reported on Sunday that Mojtaba met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is beginning his third year in office.

An undated video showing Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei during what appears to be a lecture session, has been released by Mehr news agency, without giving details about when or where it was filmed. pic.twitter.com/kM1OkieidJ

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 9, 2026

Their meeting addressed the current challenges facing Iran, including public livelihood needs and the military conflict with the US "as well as economic interaction with foreign partners,” it added.

READ: Who is Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba was selected as Iran’s supreme leader in early March after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on Feb 28. He has never been seen in public since his selection.

Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire in April and subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their military conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

The deal, however, collapsed last month with Tehran and Washington exchanging attacks for nearly two weeks before US President Donald Trump abruptly halted the bombardment amid reports of talks to resolve the conflict.

Mojtaba was born in 1969 in the holy Shi'ite city of Mashhad and grew up as his father was helping lead the opposition to the Shah. As a young man, he served in the Iran-Iraq war.

READ MORE: Iran's new supreme leader injured but 'safe', says president's son

He amassed power under his father as a senior figure close to the security forces and the vast business empire they control. He has opposed reformers seeking to engage with the West as it tries to curb Iran's nuclear programme.

His close ties with the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) give him added leverage across Iran's political and security apparatus, and he has built up influence behind the scenes as his father's "gatekeeper".

Earlier, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba in 2019, saying he represented the supreme leader in "an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position" aside from working in his father's office.

The supreme leader has the final say on matters of state, including foreign policy and Iran's nuclear programme. The role grants him ultimate authority over Iran’s political, military and religious institutions, placing him at the centre of decision-making during a period of heightened conflict with the United States and Israel.