Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei survived Israeli-US strike by minutes - report
The report says the new Iranian leader stepped outside moments before the attack that struck the supreme leader's compound in Tehran
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, survived US and Israeli air strikes in Tehran after stepping outside his residence to the garden shortly before missiles struck the compound, according to leaked audio obtained by The Telegraph.
The recording reportedly captures remarks by Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for the office of former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. Hosseini addressed senior clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during a meeting on March 12 in Tehran’s Qolhak neighborhood. The audio, which the newspaper said it independently verified, provides details about the strike that targeted the supreme leader’s compound on Feb. 28.
According to Hosseini’s account, Mojtaba Khamenei had stepped outside moments before the attack. The missiles hit the residence at 9:32 AM local time. The leaked recording states that he had gone outside “to do something” shortly before the strike occurred.
Hosseini said Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the attack, suffering a wound to his leg. He also said the leader’s wife and son were killed instantly, while his brother-in-law was decapitated in the blast. The body of Mohammad Shirazi, chief of Khamenei’s military bureau, was also killed in the strike. Hosseini told those present that the body was “blown to pieces” and that only “a few kilos of flesh” could be used for identification.
The compound in the Iranian capital served as the residence of both Mojtaba Khamenei and his father, Ali Khamenei. It also included a religious hall used for speeches by the elder Khamenei, as well as housing for other members of the family.