President Donald Trump said he believes Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is likely still alive but may have been injured during the recent U.S. military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury. Speaking in an interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio, Trump said Khamenei is “probably alive in some form,” though he suggested the cleric may have been wounded in the Feb. 28 airstrike that reportedly killed his father, former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and his wife.
Iranian authorities have not released new images or video of Mojtaba Khamenei since he was named supreme leader earlier this week. Reports citing Iranian sources have offered conflicting accounts of his condition. Some claim he suffered severe injuries in the strike, while others suggest he sustained relatively minor wounds, including a fractured foot and facial injuries. None of the reports have been independently verified.
In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Khamenei vowed retaliation against the United States and announced plans to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz until the conflict ends.Trump said U.S. forces have significantly degraded Iran’s military capabilities, claiming missile stockpiles, drone programs, and production facilities have been heavily targeted during the ongoing campaign.
