The US President Donald Trump has claimed he is hearing reports that Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may not be alive as tensions continue to rise between Washington and Tehran.
The U.S. president stated that he had received information suggesting the cleric was “not alive,” fuelling speculation about the condition of the successor to his father, Ali Khamenei.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since the airstrike that killed his father, raising further questions about his health and whereabouts. U.S. officials have reported that the new leader may have been wounded and possibly disfigured during the strike.
The US President told NBC: “I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender.”
He added: “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him.”
He then told NBC: “Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
However, Iran has firmly denied these rumours. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated there was “no problem” with the Supreme Leader, insisting he had recently sent messages and would continue to carry out his duties.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Friday the new Ayatollah is “wounded and likely disfigured” and criticised why he chose to submit a written statement.
The War Secretary said: “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement?
“I think you know why. His father: dead; he’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy.”
The Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, the powerful clerical body responsible for selecting Iran’s Supreme Leader, following the killing of Ali Khamenei during the early phase of the war.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the choice, expressing his dissatisfaction with the appointment and arguing that Iran made a “big mistake.” The president has also asserted that any future Iranian leadership must be willing to bring peace to the country and the region.
Despite never holding a formal senior government position, Mojtaba Khamenei has long been believed to wield significant influence within Iran’s political and security establishment, particularly through ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The uncertainty surrounding Iran’s leadership comes as the broader conflict continues to intensify, with the United States rejecting ceasefire talks and the war causing major disruptions to global oil markets and regional security.
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