The footage, published by Mehr for the first time, appears aimed at countering growing speculation about Khamenei’s health and whereabouts.
Days after reports in Israeli media claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was in critical condition and had been taken to a hospital, Iran’s semi-official Mehr News agency released an undated video appearing to show him in good health.
The footage, published by Mehr for the first time, appears aimed at countering growing speculation about Khamenei’s health and whereabouts. Mehr is a semi-official Iranian news agency sponsored by the government and operated by the Iranian government’s Islamic Development Organisation.
Iran’s Mehr RELEASES VIDEO of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for ‘FIRST TIME’ pic.twitter.com/v3Rp81VfLH
— RT (@RT_com) August 8, 2026
On Friday, Israeli media reports claimed that Khamenei was in an “extremely critical condition”. Channel 14, citing sources inside Iran, and The Jerusalem Post, quoting IranWire and sources close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, reported that concerns over his health were circulating among Iran’s leadership.
A source cited by The Jerusalem Post said, “We would not be surprised if we heard news of his martyrdom soon.”
Khamenei took over as Supreme Leader shortly after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated in joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28. He has not appeared in public since assuming the position and has communicated only through written statements.
According to reports, Khamenei was injured and may have suffered disfiguring injuries during the initial strikes on his father’s compound. The injuries reportedly forced him into hiding, while he has allegedly communicated with senior regime figures through a slow network of intermediaries to avoid being targeted.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also acknowledged the difficulty of directly interacting with Khamenei. In a state TV interview, he said that direct interaction with the Supreme Leader is currently “very difficult”.
Questions over Khamenei’s whereabouts and ability to lead have also emerged in international and regional reports. In July, Saudi news outlet al-Hadath, citing an Israeli security source, claimed that Khamenei was “not in Iran.”
Around the same time, US President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview that Iran’s top military leadership had been eliminated. He also claimed that Khamenei was “90% gone” and incapacitated following the military campaign.