Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon on Sunday, following recent reports claiming he was in a coma. The picture of the meeting was shared on Khamenei’s X account.
The meeting comes after multiple media outlets reported that the 85-year-old leader was in a coma and had chosen his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor. These reports followed an October claim by The New York Times that Khamenei was “seriously ill.”
The photo shows Khamenei speaking with Ambassador Mojtaba Amani in his office. The caption, written in Persian, states:
“Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, met and talked with Mr Mojtaba Amani, the veteran ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon, at noon today, on the sidelines of his daily meetings.”
Amani was recently injured in an explosion in Lebanon that killed at least 39 people and injured nearly 3,000. The explosion involved devices used by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered his first sermon in five years on October 5th. This followed Iran’s launch of 180 missiles aimed at key infrastructure in Israel.
Speaking to a large crowd at a Tehran mosque, Khamenei described the missile strikes as a “public service.” He expressed support for Palestinian and Lebanese movements against Israel.
Khamenei, holding a gun during his address, stated his belief that Israel would not overcome Hamas or Hezbollah. He said, “Israel won’t last long.”
