Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded in the opening hours of the Israeli-American attack on February 28, according to Iranian and Israeli officials. The 56-year-old successor to his slain father has remained out of public view since being named leader three days ago.

Three Iranian officials said Khamenei suffered leg injuries but remains alert and sheltered at a secure location. Israeli military sources independently confirmed the leg injuries, reaching that conclusion even before his selection as supreme leader. State media has referred to him as a 'wounded war veteran' supreme leader.

Khamenei's father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the same February 28 attack that targeted Iran's leadership compound in Tehran. The new leader has deep ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and coordinated security affairs for his father's office. Despite his physical absence, his image already appears on banners across Tehran, including a mural depicting him receiving Iran's flag from his late father.