TEHRAN: As mystery continues to shroud the appearance of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Al Arabiya reported that Iran's Fars News released archival footage of the Iranian Supreme Leader.
According to Al Arabiya, the footage was reportedly filmed before Khamenei became the Supreme Leader.
He was seen surrounded by a group of people who offered prayers before beginning their discussions.
Notably, this is the second time in August that a video of Khamenei has been released by Iranian media.
Earlier in August, days after Israeli media claimed that Iran's Supreme Leader was in critical condition and had been rushed to a hospital, Iran's semi-official Mehr News agency released an undated video showing Mojtaba Khamenei appearing to be in good health.
The video of Mojtaba Khamenei was published for the first time by Mehr, a semi-official news agency sponsored by the government of Iran and run by the Iranian government's Islamic Development Organisation, as an effort to negate mounting speculation over Khamenei's health and whereabouts.
Previously, Israeli media reports had claimed that Khamenei was in an "extremely critical condition". Channel 14, citing sources inside Iran, and an earlier report by The Jerusalem Post, quoting IranWire and sources close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, reported that concerns over his health were circulating within Iran's leadership.
Shortly thereafter, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "completely healthy", dismissing speculations regarding his physical condition, according to a report by the ISNA news agency.
"Someone who can sit and discuss for seven to eight hours cannot have any health problems," the President said, noting that he had held a "very good" meeting with Khamenei earlier in August.
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position of Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28. Since assuming the role, Mojtaba Khamenei has not made any public appearances, communicating exclusively through written statements.