Kamal Ghorui
US President Donald Trump on Monday cast doubt on the survival of Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, citing reports about his condition. While some suggest that he may have lost a leg in an air strike others say that he could be disfigured but “no one” has publicly confirmed the leader is healthy or even seen him alive, Trump said. “We don’t know … if he’s dead or not.”“Nobody’s saying he’s 100% healthy,” Trump said. “I will say this, nobody’s seen him, which is unusual,” he told reporters at the White House. “A lot of people are saying that he’s badly disfigured. They’re saying that he lost his leg … and he’s been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he’s dead.”Mojtaba Khamenei was named as his father Ali Khamenei’s successor after the elder leader was killed in the initial stages of the conflict. This is not the first time Trump has cast doubt on the Iranian leader’s situation. In an earlier interview with NBC News, he said that he had seen no clear proof that the 56‑year‑old is still alive, pointing out that Khamenei’s first message since taking power was a written statement rather than a public appearance.Shortly after the statement, multiple media circulated suggesting that Mojtaba was in a coma following critical injuries from an airstrike. According to some accounts, the son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was said to have lost a leg and suffered severe abdominal or liver damage in the attack. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had also previously indicated that the new leader had been wounded and has yet to appear publicly. Since his appointment earlier this month, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained out of the public eye, fueling speculation in Iran and abroad about his health and location. According to a report by The New York Times citing Iranian officials, he may have been injured during the initial attacks, including possible leg wounds. Meanwhile, Iranian state television described him as a “wounded veteran” of the ongoing conflict but offered no further details. Officials have dismissed claims that the cleric is incapacitated. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said there was “no problem” with the new supreme leader.
