Its publication followed tweets claiming iranian supreme leader ali Khamenei was in a coma or dead which had erupted on November 16.
Iran has refuted rumors on social media about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s health by sharing a photo of him in a meeting.
The photo on X, formerly Twitter, purports to show a meeting between the Iranian leader and Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon at noon Sunday, November 17, in Tehran.
Iran International reported on November 15 that the Assembly of Experts in Iran talked about potential successors for Supreme Leader Khamenei, such as his son Mojtaba Khamenei. The discussion was driven by the threat of assassination, not health concerns.
Authentic picture on Khamenei’s account and reported timings could debunk false rumors about his health and successor.
On November 16, Dr. Maalouf reported that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran has fallen into a coma and died. Good riddance! Iran will soon be free!”
The Global 202, which lists itself as a news and media account, posted on November 17: “BREAKING Dramatic reports in Iran: The 85-year-old leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, fell into a coma. His condition is critical.” The account has no website listed and no article linked.
Another user, J.N. Araain, a self-described human rights crusader, wrote on November 17: “Rumors are swirling that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is in a coma. Earlier reports hinted at his grave illness, and now whispers suggest his second son, Mojtaba, might succeed him. Isn’t it ironic how a theocracy, supposed to be ruled by divine will, resorts to what looks like family business? #NepotismAtItsFinest #ReligionOrDynasty.”
But some X users cast doubt on the social media rumors, including Sarah Raviani, a spokesperson for the group Iranians for Trump, who wrote, “I’d love to believe Khamenei is dead, but the worst people seem to live forever. These rumors have been swirling for over a decade— he’s supposedly been in a ‘coma’ several times over the years. Just more soap opera drama from the regime.”
The New York Times had previously written about the Iranian Supreme Leader’s alleged ill health in an article published on October 26, but later corrected it and wrote that there have been no recent reports indicating Khamenei is ill.
A report from Iran International highlights that three candidates, including the Supreme Leader’s son, are vying to succeed the Iranian Supreme Leader, with indications that Khamenei is in good health. The recent Assembly of Experts meeting showed no signs of illness regarding the current leader.
Jason Brodsky, a policy director at the United Against Nuclear Iran, also denounced the coma claims in a post on X and wrote: “Tweets about how #Iran‘s regime’s supreme leader is in a coma or has even died are all over my timeline. There is not one credible news outlet which has reported as such.
“So please be careful what you post.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, 55, has been influential in behind-the-scenes governmental decisions for nearly 30 years, and his potential appointment could have significant implications, according to former Department of State adviser Gabriel Noronha. This development is noteworthy for anyone interested in Iranian politics and governance.
Noronha noted that reports of the younger Khamenei’s possible succession followed Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi’s death in May in a helicopter crash, and that “He shares his father’s ideological outlook, but the decisions he makes on foreign policy, on nuclear weaponization, and how to craft a path on social and religious issues will be hugely consequential to see whether the regime survives.”
Noronha also previously told Newsweek: “Mojtaba has already started taking over some of the minor duties of his father as Supreme Leader. Most importantly, he has been very close to the IRGC and the so-called revolutionary forces in the regime which pull many of the strings and seek perpetual confrontation with the West.”
“He had been amassing influence networks with the powerful cadres, and especially with members of the Assembly of Experts, the 88-person body tasked with selecting the next Supreme Leader.”
The younger Khamenei reportedly suppressed protests after the 2009 election and received the title of ayatollah in 2021, according to the Economic Times.
Alireza Arafi and Hashem Hosseini Bushehri are potential candidates for the position. Arafi reportedly is a confidant of Iran’s Supreme Leader, while Bushehri has ties to Khamenei as well.
This content is taken from https://www.newsweek.com/iran-refutes-supreme-leader-coma-reports-amid-social-media-buzz-1987319
