Mojtaba Khamenei thanks Iraq in new message; but fails to appear in person

IRan’s young sublime leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued in clip another written content — this time thanking Iraq — but his continued absence from public view is raising questions about his condition and whereabouts.In his latest message, Khamenei expressed appreciation to Iraq for backing Iran during the ongoing conflict. According to Iranian media, the message specifically acknowledged both the Iraqi people and its top religious leadership.He “expressed his appreciation to the supreme religious authority (in Iraq) and the people of Iraq for their clear stance against aggression against Iran and their support for our country”, the ISNA news agency reported, referring to Ali Sistani.However, Mojtaba Khamenei's absence from the public has fuelled speculation about whether he is alive or not. Adding to the uncertainty, Donald Trump, in an interview with the Financial Times, recently cast doubt on Khamenei’s condition. “The son is either dead or in extremely bad shape. We’ve not heard from him at all. He’s gone.”Also read | Where is Mojtaba Khamenei? CIA, Mossad continue search for Iran's Supreme LeaderThe message was conveyed after a meeting involving the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad, though details about how it was transmitted were not disclosed, news agency AFP reported. Still no public appearanceDespite being named supreme leader after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in an airstrike on February 28, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public even once.Also read | How the son of Iran’s Supreme Leader built a global property empireSo far, his communication has been limited to a handful of written statements. These include an initial message after assuming leadership and another marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Both were read out on television by others rather than delivered by him directly.State media has circulated images of him, but without confirming whether they are recent. Officials have suggested he is recovering from injuries sustained in an airstrike, but there has been no independent confirmation.Speculation intensifiesThe lack of any direct appearance has triggered intense speculation globally. Questions over whether he is able to lead in person remain unanswered.US President Donald Trump last week said Washington was in talks with a “top person” in Iran, but clarified that the individual was not the supreme leader."We have not heard from the son... We don't know if he is living," said Trump.Mojtaba Khamenei, now Iran’s third supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has taken charge at a moment of war and uncertainty. His leadership, however, is unfolding largely through written words rather than public presence.