U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive but has been “damaged.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei—who was killed on the first day of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran—has not appeared in public since he was chosen by a clerical assembly on Sunday.
His first public remarks since the appointment were delivered on Thursday through a television presenter.
“I think he probably is (alive). I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ programme The Brian Kilmeade Show.
In those initial remarks, Mojtaba Khamenei pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and called on neighbouring countries to shut down U.S. military bases on their territory or risk being targeted by Iran.
The United States and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes on Israel and Gulf countries hosting U.S. bases.
As the conflict nears the two-week mark—having killed thousands and rattled global financial markets—the leaders of Iran, Israel and the United States have all expressed defiance and vowed to continue the fight.
