Donald Trump said he believes Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is likely still alive but may have been seriously injured following the airstrike that reportedly killed his father, former leader Ali Khamenei.
Speaking on Fox News Radio’s Brian Kilmeade Show, Trump responded to questions about Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition by saying he believed the cleric had survived the attack. He added that Khamenei may have been “damaged” but was probably alive, although he did not provide additional evidence or details.
Speculation about the leader’s health intensified after Mojtaba Khamenei failed to appear publicly since the beginning of the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Reports in the British newspaper The Sun suggested that the 56-year-old cleric may have been critically injured during the February 28 airstrike and was undergoing treatment under heavy security at Sina University Hospital in Tehran.
Sources cited in the report claimed that Khamenei had suffered severe injuries, including the loss of at least one leg and internal damage to organs, and might be in a coma. These claims have not been independently verified.
Iranian officials have acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei sustained injuries in the strike but maintain that he is alive and recovering. Tehran’s ambassador to Cyprus, Alireza Salarian, told The Guardian that the leader had been wounded in his legs and arm and was receiving medical treatment. He added that Khamenei had not yet appeared publicly because his condition made it difficult for him to deliver a speech.
Iranian state television has attempted to demonstrate continuity in leadership by broadcasting what it described as Khamenei’s first statement since assuming power. The message, read by a presenter rather than the leader himself, warned that Iran would retaliate against those responsible for the conflict and threatened action against American military installations in the region.
In the statement, Khamenei said that US bases in the region should be closed immediately or they could face attacks. He also warned that Iran would seek war reparations and could target foreign assets if compensation was not provided.
The uncertainty surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition has added another layer of tension to the escalating confrontation between Iran and its adversaries, as the new leader has not been seen in public since assuming power.
