US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly appointed Supreme Leader of Iran, was wounded during recent strikes carried out amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.
Speaking during a briefing, Hegseth said the Iranian leader is “wounded and likely disfigured,” raising questions about his condition and ability to lead the country during the escalating war.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since being named Iran’s supreme leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in an earlier airstrike during the conflict.
However, Iranian officials say the new leader was only injured in the attacks but remains “safe and sound”, insisting he continues to lead the country despite the ongoing war and security threats.