Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of Iran, has rejected speculation about the health of the country’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Speaking in an interview with MS Now on Saturday, Araghchi said there was “no problem” with Khamenei’s condition and dismissed reports that he had been injured during the ongoing war.
He also said that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed for US and Israeli and other nations' ships are allowed to cross through.
"As a matter of fact, the Straits of Hormuz is open. It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and the allies. Others are free to pass," Araghchi told a media outlet in an interview.
What did the US claim?
The clarification came after remarks made by Pete Hegseth, the US Defence Secretary, who earlier claimed that the Iranian leader had been “wounded and likely disfigured” in US-Israeli strikes. Hegseth questioned why Khamenei had issued only a written statement recently instead of appearing in a video or audio message.
According to Hegseth, Iran has the technology to easily record messages, and the absence of a visual appearance raised doubts about the leader’s condition. He also said the Iranian leadership was under pressure and struggling to show clear authority during the conflict.
During his remarks, Hegseth sharply criticised Iran’s leadership and suggested that the country’s government sees the United States and Israel as closely aligned against it. His comments further increased tensions as the conflict in the region continues to intensify.
Pro-government rally in Tehran
Meanwhile, several senior Iranian officials joined a large pro-government rally in Tehran. Demonstrators were seen carrying banners with slogans against the United States and Israel, showing support for the country’s leadership and military actions.
The broader conflict in the region continues to escalate. Iran has launched new waves of drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and some Gulf countries in response to the ongoing strikes.
At the same time, fighting has continued in Lebanon between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. Lebanese health authorities said an Israeli strike on a primary healthcare centre in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 medical workers on Friday. Officials in Lebanon say hundreds of people have been killed since the conflict intensified.
