WikiLeaks cables claim Iran leadership contender Mojtaba Khamenei underwent fertility treatment

Amid growing buzz over his possible elevation as Iran’s next Supreme Leader, details about Mojtaba Khamenei’s personal life have resurfaced in international media.

According to WikiLeaks documents cited by several news outlets, Mojtaba had undergone medical treatment related to fertility issues in the past.

A classified briefing reportedly sent by the United States Department of State to the US Embassy in London in 2008 — later released by WikiLeaks — claimed that Mojtaba had to undergo multiple hospital visits for treatment while facing pressure from family members to produce children soon after marriage, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The documents stated that Mojtaba visited Wellington Hospital and Cromwell Hospital for treatment. After an extended hospital stay during his fourth visit, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel reportedly became pregnant.

Mojtaba married Zahra Haddad-Adel in 2004, and the couple are reported to have at least one son, Ali Khamenei Jr..

Some media reports have also claimed that Mojtaba had two temporary marriages earlier in life before his official marriage. Such arrangements, known as mut‘ah, are a form of temporary marriage permitted in Shia Islam, though details about the partners have not been publicly disclosed.

Iran’s next Supreme Leader will be selected by the powerful clerical body known as the Assembly of Experts.

Among the other potential contenders is Alireza Arafi, who is currently one of the members of the interim council overseeing the country’s affairs.