| Unlock full access to our free-thinking journalism for less than 50p per week. |  | Akhtar Makoii Foreign Reporter | Seconds. That’s all that saved Mojtaba Khamenei from death.
Iran’s new supreme leader had stepped into the garden of his father’s compound when a missile destroyed the building above him.
His wife was killed instantly. His brother-in-law was decapitated. His father, son and sister were killed. Mojtaba sustained a leg injury.
This is what a leaked audio clip from deep inside the regime, which has been obtained by The Telegraph, reveals.
An address to senior clerics and IRGC commanders by Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol for Ali Khamenei’s office, provides the first detailed account from inside the supreme leader’s compound as it came under attack. We cross-referenced his account with his known public statements and spoke to sources inside the Islamic Republic to verify the details.
The audio is extraordinary. The official described missiles so powerful that they severed a man’s head.
The body of Mohammad Shirazi, the chief of Khamenei’s military bureau, was “blown to pieces”, and only “a few kilos of flesh” could be used to identify him.
Hosseini revealed that multiple houses within the compound were struck simultaneously, as Israel and the US tried to wipe out the Khamenei family.
Mojtaba may have survived the strike, but he has not been seen since the start of the war, or in the 18 days since he stepped into his father’s role.
His only message to his people came in the form of a written statement read aloud on state television, which has led to speculation, including from Donald Trump, that he could be more badly injured than Iran will admit.
This exclusive reporting is available to subscribers only.
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Don’t miss Akhtar on yesterday’s episode of Iran: The Latest to hear more about this astonishing story.
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Plus, follow the latest updates on the conflict ➤ | | Seeing news of the outbreak in Kent brought painful memories flooding back to Suzanne Moore | I know what meningitis looks like. I know how fast septicaemia, which can be caused by the invasive bacteria, spreads from one red pinprick on the skin to purplish blotches in a matter of minutes. And, thankfully, I know it can be stopped.
When I heard that an outbreak of meningitis in Kent had claimed the lives of two young people, and left another 11 seriously ill, I was immediately taken back to the dash to the hospital many years ago with my youngest daughter. She was just a year old.
I was prepared to have a row about being seen quickly, but there was no need. I showed her to reception. The woman said: “Run.” Alarms went off. Within two minutes, four doctors were working on her. They saved my daughter’s life by putting every organ on life support.
We were not out of the woods yet. She was transferred to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, where we were told she could still die, lose limbs or suffer brain damage or hearing loss. At one point over the following days, I went out for coffee. When I returned, a two-year-old boy on the same ward, who also had meningococcal septicaemia, had died.
I walked into the room and his mum and dad hugged me, gave me all his toys and said: “Fight for your little girl.” It was an act of love and grace in the midst of profound grief that I will never forget.
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Read more on the meningitis outbreak:
• Race to stop meningitis spreading nationwide ➤
• Pictured: Grammar school pupil who died in meningitis outbreak ➤
• What is meningitis, is it contagious and what are the symptoms? ➤ | | David Frost As a country, it’s time to get off the couch and get to the gym, before we have an economic heart attack Continue reading ➤ David Blair The oil crisis may be about to get a whole lot worse Continue reading ➤ Ben Wallace Trump’s war is having serious consequences – for his allies Continue reading ➤ | | To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. | | An investigation claims the artist known as Banksy is Robin Gunningham, seen here in an image first published in 2004 | | Amy Griffin is accused of stealing traumatic events from a classmate in what is being dubbed America’s Salt Path scandal | | When Amy Griffin was 12 years old, a teacher at her school in Texas sexually assaulted her; she blocked out the abuse until adulthood, when she reclaimed her memories with the help of MDMA-therapy. Griffin, now the wife of a billionaire, turned her trauma into a bestselling memoir, The Tell. Now, questions have started to swirl around whether it was actually her story to tell. Continue reading ➤ | | | Xanthe Clay and Andrew Baker tried 28 Easter eggs, ranging from £7 to £160, in their quest to find the best | | When The Telegraph’s taste test experts, Xanthe Clay and Andrew Baker, set out to appraise this year’s clutch of Easter eggs, they hadn’t banked on cracking into a 51cm-tall whopper, nor one that cost over £20 per 100g of chocolate. Are they worth your money? Here’s our verdict. Continue reading ➤ | | | From the pandemic to the Iran war, successive global shocks have battered the UK. However, the true anchor dragging down the economy is Britain’s domestic failings. With youth unemployment hitting 16.1 per cent, the highest rate in a decade, and borrowing costs surging, Tim Wallace, our Deputy Economics Editor, exposes the toxic policy combination that permanently shattered British living standards. Continue reading ➤ | | | To limit the amount of plastic in his life, David Cox is avoiding Tupperware and investing in a reusable coffee cup | | Male fertility has a new and unlikely enemy: microplastics. Tiny particles and the various pollutants they can carry have been found to accumulate in the testes, penile tissue and semen during studies. Now planning to start a family, David Cox decided it was time to find out if his fertility was at risk and how he could reduce his exposure. Continue reading ➤ | | | Struggling to find your next read? Look no further than our round-up of the best books of 2026 so far. From unmissable fiction by Julian Barnes to a magnificent history of the Soviet Union, there’s something for everyone here, as well as an exciting preview of the major titles to come. Whether you’re after non-fiction or fiction, new books or those soon to be released, use our filters to find your next read. Continue reading ➤ Happy St Patrick’s day! Here are a couple of Guinness-themed articles to help you celebrate: | Bradford Every week, one of our writers argues that their hometown is the best in Britain – but will their case convince you? This week we’re in Bradford, which despite a bleak reputation, has much more to it than meets the eye, according to Anita Singh.  | Anita Singh Arts and Entertainment Editor | Bill Bryson wrote in Notes From A Small Island that “Bradford’s role in life is to make every place else in the world look better in comparison”. Rude. Bradfordians don’t require other people to moan about the city, we’re quite capable of doing that ourselves.
However, let me also sing Bradford’s praises, because someone has to. Yes, the city centre is a shadow of its former glories – not just the Victorian era, when the wool trade made this one of Europe’s richest cities, or my childhood, when it still boasted a fancy department store (which went by the unimprovable name of Brown Muff’s), or my teenage years, spent happily browsing the shelves at Our Price and dancing at the indie nightclub Tumblers. | Anita pictured growing up in Bradford | The spirit of the city remains: scrappy, hardy and full of humour. I go back often, because my parents still live there, and because Bradford was chosen as the 2025 UK City of Culture. Attending the Turner Prize was a reminder of the treasures we have: the exhibition was held in the splendid Cartwright Hall, where the permanent collection boasts works by LS Lowry and William Blake; the ceremony was in my alma mater, Bradford Grammar School, one of the best in the North. | Cartwright Hall, Bradford | When you move away from the centre, Bradford is a beauty. The perfectly preserved industrial village of Saltaire, now a Unesco World Heritage site, is home to a majestic mill housing works by hometown hero David Hockney. We are surrounded by glorious countryside. The wily, windy moors of Wuthering Heights? Part of Bradford.
Alas, Margot Robbie didn’t pop into town after a day’s filming, but Dame Helen Mirren stopped off for a curry and a trip to the fabled Alhambra panto a couple of years back. “The one and only Bradford with its own magic,” she wrote of her visit, and I couldn’t put it any better.
What do you think of Bradford? Let us know here. | Fishy business In Sunday’s Devil’s Advocate column, Michael Mosbacher, our Deputy Comment Editor, expressed his disdain for fish and chips. Your responses were plentiful. Here are a few of his favourites. Michael writes...
Britain lands some of the world’s best fish and seafood – yet our national dish of fish and chips is one of the blandest piscine creations. That was my contention on Sunday. Would readers agree or think I had mean-spiritidly insulted a national culinary tradition of which we should be proud?
Readers were divided. Fay Goodwin is a doughty partisan for our national dish, saying: “What’s wrong with Cod or Haddock? There is nothing better than a meaty piece of cod or delicious piece of haddock in crispy batter.”
Sue assures us if we go far enough to the west, fish and chip nirvana can be found. She said: “Come to Cornwall and get the best fish and chips in the world, from our local award winning Peckish, you get the boat’s name who caught it and the wonderful flavoursome hake is more popular than cod or haddock!” This chippy is surely a true rarity in being able to trace its fish back to the source.
Others think I may have a point, though. Fish and chips are not what they once were, says Phillipe Denny: “I left the UK some 24 years ago and have always had a fond memory of fish and chips. I visited the UK last year and whilst staying at the seaside bought some. Oh my! What has happened to this once glorious dish? Soggy chips and fish that simply had no taste at nearly £15. I wish I hadn’t bought them. Now my fond memory has been tarnished forever.”
I rather suspect Mr Denny’s experience is far from unique. Fish and chips usually taste better as a nostalgic memory than at the moment of consumption.
However, Robert Harris must have the last word: “Totally agree Michael!! It has never ceased to amaze me that most of our superb seafood is exported. The traditional fish and chips at their worst (tasteless and soggy) represent the last traces of the overcooked offerings that used to represent UK cooking.” What do you think? Send your responses here, and the best will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, to which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was BACKDATED. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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