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ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this picture released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting with Iranian ambassadors in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014. Khamenei on Wednesday dismissed the value of direct talks with the U.S., his first comments touching on meetings that officials from the Islamic Republic had with Americans dating back to secret talks that began in 2012. (AP Photo/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader)
TEHRAN, Iran >> Iran’s official news agency says the country’s supreme leader has undergone prostate surgery in a Tehran hospital. The report describes the surgery as “routine” and says it was successful.
The 75-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has final say on all state matters in Iran and has been the country’s top leader since 1989.
The report by IRNA says the surgery took place on Monday morning at a government hospital in the Iranian capital.
Meanwhile, Iranian state TV says Khamenei told the station before the surgery that there was “no room for concern” and that it was a routine operation.
Media reports on the state of health of Iran’s top leader are extremely rare.
