Iran's New Supreme Leader Incapacitated by Airstrike

Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is incapacitated and unable to participate in any decisionmaking, according to a diplomatic memorandum based on U.S. and Israeli intelligence shared with Gulf allies. The 56-year-old cleric, who assumed the role in March following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is receiving treatment for a severe medical condition in the holy city of Qom, about 87 miles south of Tehran.

The memorandum, first reported by The Times of London, states that Mojtaba Khamenei is unconscious and has been in this state since sustaining injuries during a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on February 28, the opening day of Operation Epic Fury. That attack killed his father, who had led Iran since 1989, along with his mother, wife and one son. Iranian officials have acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the strike but have provided few details, describing his injuries initially as minor, such as to his leg.

Since his appointment, Mojtaba Khamenei has made no verified public appearances. Statements attributed to him, including pledges to support regional proxy groups and vows of retaliation against the U.S. and Israel, have...