US Secretary of War says Iranian Supreme Leader 'disfigured' but 'alive' following reports he was 'in a coma and had lost a leg'
Donald Trump had believed the new Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was 'probably' alive but badly injured.
Pete Hegseth has confirmed that Iran's Supreme Leader is 'alive' but has been 'disfigured' following reports he was 'in a coma and had lost a leg'
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Speaking from the Pentagon on Friday, the US Secretary of War confirmed that Iran's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had survived an airstrike amid widespread speculation surrounding his health.
It comes after Donald Trump said he believed the new Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is 'probably' alive but badly injured.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ali Khamenei who was killed in US-Israeli strikes, has not been seen publicly since he was chosen as successor.
Sharing an update on US actions in the region and the health of the incoming supreme leader, Hegseth continued by insisting the Iranian leader had been "wounded" and was "on the run" - unverified claims that the US failed to provide evidence to support.
It comes as General Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in the Pentagon that Friday will be the US's "busiest" day in the Middle East.
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"We know the new so-called, not so supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured," the US defence secretary said.
Khamenei released his first statement on Thursday, but the speech fuelled speculation after he failed to appear in person.
Hegseth continued his Pentagon press conference on Thursday by calling the leader's statement "a weak one".
"There was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement," he said.
"Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why.
"His father is dead. He's scared; he's injured; he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them.
"Who's in charge? Iran may not even know. With every passing hour, we know and they know that the military capabilities of their evil regime are crumbling."
It comes after Donald Trump told a US radio show on Thursday: "I think he probably is [alive], I think he's damaged, but I think he's probably alive in some form."
56-year-old Mojtaba has not been seen since since becoming Supreme Leader on Monday. His father and wife both were killed in an Israeli air strike February 28 that started the war.
According to the Sun, the Iranian leader is currently in a coma after losing one or both of his legs, as well as sustaining serious stomach or liver damage.
It is unclear Khamenei was injured on the same day his father died but he is not directing the strategy.
He reportedly remains in intensive care at the Sina University Hospital in Tehran's historic quarter, with a section of the hospital sealed off and surrounded by security.
On Friday, a senior Iranian leader was seen to take to the streets of Tehran to demonstrate, as he appeared to taunt the US President.
Security chief Ali Larijani joined demonstrators despite the threat of missiles, giving an interview which saw him taunt the US and Israel as he appeared at a Quds Day rally.
The outlet also reported Khamenei is in a “very serious” condition under the care of Mohammad Reza Zafargjani.
Zafargjani is Iran’s Minister of health, Treatment and Medical Education but also one of the country’s top trauma surgeons and the regime’s most trusted physician
The source said in a message: “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.”
Many foreign nationals have been getting out of the Persian Gulf region since the war began, including over 45,000 UK citizens, the UK Foreign Office said.
Some 40,000 people returned to the United States, according to the American state department.
In addition to the nearly 500 people killed in Lebanon, Iran has said more than 1,300 people have been killed there and Israel has reported 12 people dead.
The US has lost seven soldiers while another eight have suffered severe injuries.
Overnight, two ships were struck off the coast of Iraq, near the port of Umm Qasr, killing one person and injuring 38 others, the head of the General Company for Iraqi ports said.
The explosions come after three cargo vessels were hit by “unknown projectiles” in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
Iraq rescued more than 20 crew members from the two vessels, which both caught fire in the attacks and are still ablaze, according to Farhan al-Fartousi, Iraq's director general of the General Company for Ports.
Following the attacks, the country's oil ports have reportedly "completely stopped operations", while commercial ports continue to operate.
At the United Nations, the Security Council is to vote on Wednesday afternoon on the Gulf Cooperation Council resolution, according to diplomats.
The council, a six-nation regional bloc, said its own facilities were targeted in an Iranian attack last week on Bahrain.
The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, condemns Iran's attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The measure calls for an immediate end to all strikes and threats against neighbouring states, including through proxies.
It would be the first Security Council resolution considered since the start of the war.