US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he thinks new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but "damaged." The remarks from the US President come as speculation over the health of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei grows after the son of Iran's President mentioned hearing news about him "being injured". Notably, Khamenei has not been seen by Iranians since his selection on Sunday by a clerical assembly, and his first comments were read out by a television presenter on Thursday.
Iran says Mojtaba Khamenei was lightly injured
One Iranian official stated that the newly appointed supreme leader was lightly injured but was continuing to operate, after state television described him as war-wounded.
"I think he probably is (alive). I think he is damaged, but I think he's probably alive in some form, you know," Trump said in an interview on Fox News' "The Brian Kilmeade Show."
Mojtaba vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut
In his first comment, Mojtaba vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and called on neighboring countries to close US bases on their territory or risk Iran targeting them.
It should be noted the US and Israel started attacks on Iran on February 28. And Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf countries with US bases.
For the last few days, speculation over the health of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei grew after the son of Iran's president mentioned hearing news about him "being injured". Mojtaba, 56, is the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mojtaba has long been a secretive figure within Iran
He has long been a secretive figure within Iran. His father and wife were both killed in an Israeli airstrike of February 28 that started the war. Mojtaba has not been seen since, nor has he given any statement since becoming supreme leader on Monday.
In an overnight post on the app Telegram, Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote, "I heard news about Mojtaba being injured. I asked friends who were in contact. They said, Thank God, he is healthy and there is no problem."
