New Delhi (India) April 24:Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, is experiencing a critical medical condition after surviving a bomb attack, creating concern about his ability to exert total control while the country deals with war and fragile ceasefire negotiations.
Top Iranian military and political leaders stopped visiting Mojtaba to prevent them from being tracked and potentially targeted by Israelis. The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, also a heart surgeon, is in charge of his medical needs.

Severe Burns and Surgeries Weaken Khamenei

According to a report by The New York Times, Khamenei was operated on his hand, sustained heavy burns to his face and required a prosthetic leg. While capable of making decisions with full mind, he has been unable to perform physical duties of the country leader.
“One leg was operated on three times, and he is awaiting a prosthetic. He had surgery on one hand and is slowly regaining function. His face and lips have been burnt severely, making it difficult for him to speak,” the report cited the sayings of the officials.

The report also states Khamenei has had minimal interaction with Iran's generals while talks are underway. Experts suggest that this absence has created a power vacuum increasingly being filled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Reports Hint at Emerging “General’s Republic”

Based on interviews with six top Iranian officials, Revolutionary Guard members, and people close to the regime, the report alleges that Khamenei is physically incapable of performing his role and is increasingly relying on military generals. The report calls this shift the rise of a "General's Republic" where clerical influence is going in favor of a military establishment that is tightly interwoven into the state's governance structure.
This reliance is explained by the report's assertion that Mojtaba has strong ties to the military due to his own experience in "Habib Battalion" in Iran-Iraq war. His former friend in "Habib Battalion," Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is running Iran .

Khamenei's Injuries Restrict Public Appearances

Since American-Israeli airstrikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb 28, Mojtaba Khamenei has been hidden, his wife and son killed in bombing, his ability to remain active limited by severe injuries. The only individuals permitted to access him currently are doctors and other medical personnel managing his injuries.
He sustained serious facial and lip burns as result of the strikes which have made public speaking or filming recorded video addresses virtually impossible, states the NYT report.