Iran's IRGC-affiliated Fars News on Thursday said that former Iranian Supreme Leader, late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, is alive and stated that the reports claiming she had died were incorrect.
The development comes some time after Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement following his appointment as Iran's new Supreme Leader. Notably, he did not mention anything about his mother in his first statement.
Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike by the United States and Israel at the beginning of the war. In the following days, several reports had claimed that his wife was injured and succumbed to her injuries on 2 March 2026.
In a statement long before his death, Khamenei had recalled the role of his wife in his life. Recalling the days of struggle and incarceration before the Islamic Revolution, Ali Khamenei had said that Mansoureh “never expressed concern or complaints about me, and in fact she encouraged me in numerous matters.”
“There were times… when some individuals and secret groups visited our home, including important and high-ranking people… she did not question me, did not try to interrogate me… she had no opposition at all, and in fact she even helped,” he had reportedly said.
What Mojtaba Khamenei said in his first statement?
Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first statement since his appointment, said that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed as leverage against the US and that attacks on Middle Eastern neighbours will continue.
“We believe in friendship with our neighbours, but we will target the American bases and will inevitably continue,” he said.
Khamenei's statement was read on state television on Thursday by a news anchor. He also warned that US military bases could be attacked if they remain operational in the region. “All US bases should be immediately closed in the region,” he said.
Khamenei also vowed to avenge those killed in the war and claimed that Iran would “obtain compensation” from its enemy. He said that if it refuses to do so, Iran will “take from its assets” or destroy them to the same extent. “We will not forget the revenge for the blood of the martyrs,” he said.
