Iran’s Supreme Leader Only Suffers from Bad Bout of Flu

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei is suffering from a severe bout of flu and that’s all.

The supreme leader, just like anyone else, can become ill. For some time he has been suffering from flu so severe that it can be heard in his voice. Therefore, he has cut back on his official program on doctors’ advice.

There have been persistent rumors in recent days over the Leader’s state of health, even reports that he had died.

For some time, among foreign media, on Internet sites and among people, a strong rumor has circulated that the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution is gravely ill.

The rumors first surfaced at the beginning of January with information published on the web site of US neo-conservative Michael Ledeen who claimed that Ayatollah Khamenei had died – Ledeen is believed to be the main director of the United States’ plan for a regime change in Iran.

Since then, the Iranian Leader has made two public appearances, most recently on January 16 when public television showed him meeting pilgrimage officials.

On January 7, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini denied rumors about the Leader’s state of health, saying “we wish good health and a long life to the Supreme Leader. His health is good.”

The 67-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei was chosen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts in June 1989 to succeed Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini when the Islamic Republic’s founder died.

AFP has also asked many officials about the issue, who have all told the news agency that Ayatollah Khamenei is only suffering from a heavy cold.