In a recent interview, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he believes Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, is alive, despite the fact that he has not been seen in public since assuming leadership. According to reports, Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in an airstrike that killed his father, who was also named Mojtaba Khamenei and served as the Supreme Leader at the onset of the U.S. and Israel’s military actions against Iran.
Since succeeding his father, the younger Khamenei has remained out of the public eye, with his communications limited to written messages attributed to him by domestic media.
Trump remarked, “I don’t believe he’s dead. He was very seriously injured. The left side of his body, his arm, his leg, everything. He was very seriously injured. But I don’t believe he’s dead,” in an interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
Officially, Khamenei continues to lead Iran, but his absence from public events and the rise of veterans from the Revolutionary Guards have sparked speculation regarding his status and authority, as noted by AFP.
Trump: “We Will Have a Huge Victory Soon”
President Trump asserted that the military and economic pressure exerted by the United States on Iran is effective.
“These things are leading to a major victory,” he said. “We will have a huge victory here very soon,” the American leader added.
Furthermore, Trump claimed that the Strait of Hormuz, which had previously seen disruptions from the Iranian military affecting maritime transport, is now fully open.
“The strait is open. We are now passing many ships through the strait. We are bringing them in. The mines are gone,” Trump stated.
He emphasized, “We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s what this is about (…). We cannot let them, because they are crazy and will use it.” On Monday, the Trump administration had announced its intentions to “cut all economic resources” of Iran, a threat that Tehran claimed was an acknowledgment of its defeat.
