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Donald Trump said Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is damaged but probably alive," as reports claim the leader was critically injured in an air strike that killed his father.
Trump said he believes Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive but may have been seriously injured.
UPDATED: Mar 13, 2026 06:39 IST
US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the condition of Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, saying he believes the leader is still alive but may have been seriously injured.
Speaking to the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio, Trump offered his first comments since Mojtaba Khamenei assumed leadership following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I think he probably is,” Trump said when asked whether he believes Khamenei is alive.
“I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump added during the interview, which was taped Thursday and is scheduled to air Friday morning.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since the start of the war, fueling speculation about his health and ability to lead Iran during the ongoing war.
Reports circulating in international media have suggested the new leader may have been seriously wounded during the air strike that killed his father on February 28.
According to a report by The Sun, the 56-year-old cleric is in a coma and lost at least one leg after being critically injured in the attack.
Sources cited by the publication claimed Khamenei “lost at least one leg and has also suffered serious stomach or liver damage.” The report said he is being treated under heavy security at Sina University Hospital in Tehran.
“One or two of his legs have been cut off. His liver or stomach has also ruptured. He is apparently in a coma as well,” a source told the newspaper.
Iranian state television has attempted to show continuity in leadership by broadcasting what it described as Khamenei’s first statement since taking power.
In the statement, broadcast on Iranian state television and read by a news presenter rather than the leader himself, Khamenei warned that Iran would avenge the deaths of those killed in the conflict and threatened action against U.S. military installations in the region.
“All US bases should be immediately closed in the region, otherwise they will be attacked,” Khamenei said.
He also warned that Iran would seek compensation for the war and could target foreign assets if its demands are not met.
“We will take war reparations from the enemy for the war it imposed on us. If the enemy refuses, we will seize as much of its assets as we deem appropriate; and if that is not possible, we will destroy an equivalent amount of its property,” he said.
The remarks were delivered as tensions continue to escalate between Iran, the United States and Israel. Khamenei has not appeared in public since his appointment as the country’s supreme leader.
- Ends
Published By:
Nitish Singh
Published On:
Mar 13, 2026 06:39 IST
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