Mojtaba Khamenei Remains Iran’s Supreme Leader By Year End? Crypto Punters Grow Optimistic After Undated Video Surfaces
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Cryptocurrency punters are heavily leaning toward Mojtaba Khamenei holding the position of Iran’s Supreme Leader through 2026, even as state media aired an undated video of him on Saturday.
Mojtaba Khamenei in Good Health?
Iran’s semi-independent Mehr News Agency released a 12-second video showing Khamenei in the company of several unidentified individuals who appear to be in discussion. Specifics about the video’s recording time or location remain unknown.
Khamenei met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the current conflict with the U.S. and what lies ahead, Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday.
— وكالة مهر للأنباء (@mehrnewsarabic) August 8, 2026
The video comes after Israeli media reported that Khamenei was in “critical condition”, adding to ongoing speculation over his health and whereabouts.
🚨🚨🇮🇷 Multiple sources inside Iran confirm that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/yH14mlM7uJ
— C14 News | EN (@c14english) August 7, 2026
Speculation Persists, But Polymarket Odds Tell a Different Story
Khamenei was appointed Iran’s Supreme Leader following the assassination of his father and former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since he assumed top leadership, no authenticated photographs or video footage have been released. Iranian state media, however, continued to attribute statements, religious messages, and letters to him. Khamenei was also absent from his father’s funeral last month.
Meanwhile, Polygon (CRYPTO: POL)-based Polymarket assigns an 81% chance that Khamenei “holds and exercises” the power as Iran’s Supreme Leader on Dec. 31, up 4 percentage points in a day. The odds of Iran having no leader by then remained low, at 5%.
The developments come as the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement to stop hostlities and resume commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has said that the strategic waterway will not reopen unless the U.S. honors the June interim deal.
Photo courtesy: apps media production / Shutterstock.com
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