Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said he believes Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but “damaged,” following reports that he was injured during the war. Khamenei has not been seen in public since his selection by a clerical assembly on Sunday.
Trump’s remarks and reports on Khamenei’s condition
Trump made the comments in an interview on Fox News’ “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” published late on Thursday. “I think he probably is (alive). I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump said.
An Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that the newly appointed supreme leader was lightly injured but continuing to operate, after state television described him as war-wounded. Khamenei’s father, the former supreme leader, was killed on the first day of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran.
Khamenei’s first message and threats
Khamenei’s first comments were read out by a television presenter on Thursday. In those remarks, he vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and called on neighboring countries to close U.S. bases on their territory or risk Iran targeting them.
War timeline and ongoing hostilities
The U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28. Iran has responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf countries with U.S. bases.
As the war approached the two-week mark, it had killed thousands and shaken financial markets. Leaders of Iran, Israel and the United States voiced defiance and said they would continue fighting.
What do you think the continued conflict could mean for regional security and global markets?