Mojtaba Khamenei is in Iran: Russian envoy

MOSCOW: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in the country but is refraining from making public appearances “for understandable reasons”, the RTVI news outlet quoted Russia’s ambassador to the country as saying on Tuesday.

Mojtaba replaced his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed when Israel and the United States launched their war on Iran more than a month ago. The US has said it believes Mojtaba himself is wounded and likely disfigured.

Russia has close ties with Iran, with which it signed a strategic partnership treaty last year.