It was God's will, says Mazaher Hosseini, head of the department at the office of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an audio clip obtained by the British newspaper.
He was outside and on his way back up when they attacked the building.
The statement in the audio file is made to high-ranking religious leaders and Revolutionary Guard and has been verified, according to The Telegraph.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeds Ali Khamenei as Iran's leader, lived in the same complex as his father.
The family was killed
The attack on February 28th killed much of the country's top brass. In addition to Mojtaba's parents, his wife, son and sister were also killed, along with Revolutionary Guard leader Mohammed Pakpour and Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. Mojtaba Khamenei himself is reported to have been wounded in the leg.
The fact that Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to replace his father is controversial. The Islamic Republic was founded amid widespread criticism of the hereditary power of the former monarchy. Ali Khamenei is said to have opposed the idea that his son, who does not have the religious status originally required for the role of supreme leader, should take over.
“He is not here”
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the attack. The only statement he has made since assuming the near-all-powerful role was in writing, read out on state television.
An anonymous Iranian official tells The Telegraph that no one, not even military commanders, has heard anything from him.
We've only been told that he's injured. He has no control over the war because he's not here.
Corrected: In an earlier version of the text, there was an incorrect description of what is required to become the supreme leader.
56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Iran's supreme leader after his father was killed in a US-Israeli attack on February 28.
He is the third person to serve as supreme leader in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and is considered to have good relations with the powerful Revolutionary Guard.
Before his father's death, Mojtaba Khamenei held a leading role in the Supreme Leader's office. He was relatively anonymous, but is believed to have wielded great power behind the scenes, including orchestrating a harsh crackdown on protest movements that have flared up against the Islamist regime in recent years.
He lacks the religious rank originally required for the role of supreme leader, yet Iranian state media gave him the title of “Ayatollah” in the years leading up to his rise to power.
Source: TT, Britannica
