The clarification came from Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s president and a government adviser. He addressed the speculation in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

“I heard news that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound,” Pezeshkian wrote.

The rumours spread after Iranian state television described Khamenei as a “wounded veteran of the Ramadan war.” However, the broadcaster did not give any details about the reported injury, which raised questions and speculation. While Iran moved to calm concerns about its leadership, the wider Middle East conflict continued to intensify.

A maritime security agency reported that an unidentified projectile struck a cargo ship in the strategic Strait of Hormuz near Iran. The attack caused a fire on board the vessel and forced the crew to evacuate for safety.

At the same time, several explosions were heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar, according to journalists present in the city.

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The violence also spread to Lebanon. State media reported that an Israeli strike hit an apartment building in central Beirut. It was the second time since the start of the latest conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah that Israel has targeted the centre of the Lebanese capital.

Earlier Israeli strikes also hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon after the Israeli military warned residents to evacuate.

Lebanese authorities say the fighting has displaced a large number of civilians. Nearly 760,000 people have already been registered as displaced due to the ongoing attacks.

The growing violence across several countries has raised fears that the war could expand further across the region.