US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (August 26) said he believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive but has suffered serious injuries, as uncertainty continues to surround the Iranian leader’s condition and ability to govern.
Trump made the comments during an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
Trump says Khamenei is ‘very seriously wounded’
Trump said he did not believe Mojtaba Khamenei had been killed, but described his injuries as severe.
“I don’t think he’s dead. He was very seriously wounded,” Trump said, referring to injuries to the left side of Khamenei’s body, including his arm and leg.
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Iran’s supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed during US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
The younger Khamenei was reportedly wounded in the same attacks and has not appeared publicly since becoming supreme leader.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence fuels speculation
Iran continues to officially recognise Mojtaba Khamenei as its supreme leader. However, his prolonged absence from public view has raised questions about his health and whether he is fully exercising power.
The growing influence of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has further fuelled speculation over the extent of Mojtaba Khamenei’s control.
Iran has released messages attributed to him during the conflict, but he has not made a public appearance since his appointment.
In one message read on Iranian state television, Mojtaba Khamenei said he had lost several members of his family, including his wife, sister, her child and brother-in-law.
Trump claims US-Israel strikes changed Iran’s leadership
After Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening phase of the US-Israeli operation on February 28.
Mojtaba, one of Ali Khamenei’s six children, was named his successor about a week later.
In a message attributed to the new supreme leader during funeral ceremonies for his father, Mojtaba pledged to avenge Ali Khamenei’s death.
Trump says Iran pressure is delivering results
Trump also claimed that his administration’s military and economic pressure on Iran was producing results.
“Those things are going toward a very big victory,” Trump said, adding that he expected a major victory soon.
Trump has repeatedly claimed success in the conflict but has yet to secure a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz or an agreement forcing Tehran to give up its nuclear capabilities.
He again said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained the central objective of the US campaign.
“We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, arguing that Tehran could potentially use one.
Trump insists Strait of Hormuz is open
Trump also maintained that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz is open despite continued disruption to shipping.
“You could really say, you know, because the Strait is open,” he said, claiming that the US was now moving a significant number of ships through the waterway.
Trump also said mines had been removed from the strait.
His comments come as Iran and Oman work on an interim framework intended to restore commercial shipping through the waterway, which has remained heavily restricted.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route, and uncertainty over its reopening has continued to affect oil markets and broader diplomatic efforts between Iran and the US.
