President Trump on Thursday said that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, is “damaged” but “probably alive,” amid reports from Iranian TV and other outlets that Khamenei was wounded as US and Israeli strikes continue to bombard Iran.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday declined to comment on whether or not these reports were accurate.
Then, on Thursday, the newly chosen leader issued a lengthy written statement, which was read out by Iranian state TV, but he did not make a televised appearance, as reports suggest that his injuries are severe.
“He is understood to have lost at least one leg in the incident and is believed to have sustained severe internal injuries, possibly to his stomach or liver,” GBN reports, noting that he may even be in a coma, according to sources.
THE INVISIBLE AYATOLLAH: Mojtaba Khamenei Still Nowhere To Be Seen, as Reports Suggest He Has ‘Lost a Leg’ and Is ‘In a Coma’
Khamenei’s statement calls for “all nations of the Resistance Front,” neighboring countries in Iran’s proxy network, to utilize the “leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz” and exact revenge on behalf of the “martyrs” of Iran.
Trump appeared in an interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade on Friday, where he appeared to confirm that Khamenei is still alive but injured.
“I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form,” Trump said.
Trump further responded to Khamenei doubling down on threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, telling Kilmeade, “He’s gonna have to put up.”
“We’ll have to see because we are decimating them. We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out many of their drones. We knocked out a lot of the manufacturing areas, where they manufacture the missiles and now the drones,” Trump continued. We’re hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War Two.”
WATCH:
Kilmeade: Finally, we hear from the Supreme Leader in a long statement. We don’t see him. He doesn’t read the speech. They say he wrote the speech. First off, do you believe he’s alive?
Trump: I think he probably is. I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form. Yeah.
Kilmeade: What’s your takeaway? I know he says, he says that he’s going to widen the war. He’s going to continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against you to end this war. He’s got underwater drones to stop any of the ships going in and out. What’s your message back to the new Supreme Leader?
Trump: Well, they’ve been doing a lot of talking, so he’s gonna have to put up. We’ll have to see because we are decimating them. We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out many of their drones. We knocked out a lot of the manufacturing areas, where they manufacture the missiles and now the drones. We’re hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War Two.
The full interview will air on the Brian Kilmeade show at 10 AM ET today, Kilmeade said.
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