Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said on Monday it was unclear whether Iran’s new leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was still alive, citing reports he had been injured in an air strike and had not been seen publicly.
Trump comments on Khamenei’s status
Speaking during an event at the White House, Trump said, “We don’t know … if he’s dead or not. I will say that nobody has seen him, which is unusual.”
Trump said there were differing accounts about Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition. “A lot of people are saying that he’s badly disfigured. They’re saying that he lost his leg … and he’s been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he’s dead,” he said.
Succession after Ali Khamenei’s death
After Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial strikes of the war, Tehran announced that his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, had been named as his successor. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said last week the new leader was believed to have been wounded in a strike. He has not been seen publicly.
Communication efforts and U.S. position
Oman has attempted multiple times to open a line of communication between the United States and Iran, but the White House has made clear it is not interested at this juncture, Reuters reported on Saturday.
Trump said, “We don’t know who their leader is. We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are.”
What do you think the lack of clarity about Iran’s leadership could mean for future negotiations?