The powerful son of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, now widely tipped to be his father’s successor, appears to have been treated for “impotence” and has struggled to find a wife, according to diplomatic leaks.
Mojtaba Khamenei, now 56, reportedly underwent treatment at Wellington and Cromwell Hospitals in London after struggling to have a child with his wife, according to US diplomatic cables. Published by WikiLeaks In the late 2000s.
The files indicate that his apparent impotence required at least four stays in medical facilities — including a recent two-month stay — before his wife became pregnant.
The cable stated, “His marriage to the daughter of the former Speaker of the Council, Haddad Adel, came after two temporary marriages (available under Iranian law) and occurred relatively late in his life, due to the problem of impotence, which was treated and ultimately resolved during three lengthy visits to the United Kingdom, at Wellington and Cromwell Hospitals in London.”
“Mujtaba was expecting his family to have children quickly, but he needed a fourth visit to the UK to receive medical treatment; after a two-month stay, his wife became pregnant.”
His wife eventually gave birth to a healthy boy in Iran, according to the resurfaced documents, which were first reported on Instagram. By Daily Mail.
It was not immediately clear how many children Mojtaba had.
Mojtaba, a largely secretive figure within the Islamic Republic, has long been considered a contender to become the country’s next supreme ruler — even before the US-Israeli strike killed his father and Khamenei’s younger wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, on Saturday.
In the same diplomatic cable that exposed his apparent impotence, Mujtaba was once referred to as “the power behind the clothes.”
“He is widely viewed within the regime as a capable and strong leader and administrator who may one day succeed in obtaining at least a share of national leadership; his father may also see him in this light,” the cable said.
Following Saturday’s strike, Mojtaba was initially believed to be among 40 senior Iranian aides killed alongside his 86-year-old authoritarian father, who ruled Iran with an iron fist for decades.
However, Iranian sources have since said that Mojtaba is still alive and in hiding as US and Israeli air strikes continue to bomb Iran.
One source said, “He (Mojtaba) is alive… He was not in Tehran when the Supreme Leader was killed.”
With mail wires