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United States (US) President Donald Trump has said he believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive but was seriously injured in the February US-Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I don’t think he’s dead. He was very seriously wounded. The left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing. He was very seriously wounded. But I don’t think he’s dead,” Trump said in an interview with radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday.
Mojtaba was selected as Iran’s supreme leader in March, days after his father was killed in the February 28 strikes by the United States and Israel.
Since taking office, the 56-year-old cleric has largely remained out of public view, fuelling speculation about his health and whereabouts.
His absence has been particularly notable because Iranian state media has generally communicated messages attributed to him through written statements read by television presenters, rather than through direct video or audio appearances.
Credit: Reuters
The lack of public appearances has prompted reports that Mojtaba may have suffered serious injuries during the strike that killed his father.
Reuters reported in April, citing three people close to his inner circle, that he had suffered severe facial and leg injuries but was recovering and remained mentally alert.
Iranian authorities have maintained that Mojtaba survived the attack and continued to exercise his authority, while questions over his health and visibility have persisted.
In August, Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian had met Mojtaba in late July to discuss military affairs, the economy, energy use and international economic relations. However, Pezeshkian has also reportedly described communication with the supreme leader as difficult.
Uncertainty about Mojtaba’s condition has gained renewed attention after reports that he did not appear at a recent wake for his father, despite being its official host.
The Atlantic reported that no contemporaneous photograph, video or audio recording of him had been publicly released, further fuelling speculation about his condition.
