desk
Share
News Topical, Digital Desk : US President Donald Trump has alluded to the alleged "disappearance" of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, suggesting he may be alive.
"Some people say he may have lost a leg in the airstrike, while others say his face was disfigured; but 'no one' has publicly confirmed that the leader is healthy or that anyone has even seen him alive," Trump said. "We don't know... whether he's dead or not."
"Nobody is saying he's 100% healthy," Trump said, telling reporters at the White House. "I'll just say nobody has seen him, which is a strange thing."
He further said, "Many people are saying that his face is badly disfigured. Some are saying that he (Mojtaba Khamenei) has lost his leg and is badly injured. While some others are saying that he is dead."
Trump has made such claims before.
This isn't the first time Trump has cast doubt on the Iranian leader's health or survival. In an earlier interview with NBC News, he said he hadn't seen any clear evidence that Mojtaba was still alive.
He also pointed out that Khamenei's first message after taking power was a written statement. Shortly after this statement, several media reports emerged suggesting that Mojtaba had fallen into a coma after being seriously injured in an airstrike.
According to some reports, the son of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lost a leg in the attack and suffered serious injuries to his abdomen or liver. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also previously indicated that the new leader was injured and has not yet appeared publicly.
Mojtaba was not seen after his father's death
Mojtaba Khamenei has remained out of the public eye since his appointment earlier this month, fueling speculation in Iran and abroad about his health and whereabouts. According to a report in The New York Times, citing Iranian officials, he may have been injured during the initial attacks.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television described him as a "wounded veteran" of the ongoing conflict, but provided no further details. Officials have dismissed claims that Mojtaba is no longer able to work. Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said there were "no problems" with the new supreme leader.
Read More: Iran's security chief Ali Larijani killed, IDF claims
--Advertisement--
