US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is either dead or in critical condition, asserting that American military operations have effectively wiped out Tehran’s leadership as the war in West Asia continues unabated. He asserted that the US military had dismantled Iran’s defence capabilities, with its air force, naval fleet and command structure “completely destroyed,” leaving the militarily incapacitated.
“Their leaders are dead. Their supreme leader is no longer supreme. He’s dead. His son is either dead or in very bad shape, because nobody’s heard from him. I think he says, ‘Just keep me out of this,’” the US President said.
“Now they’re 100 per cent dead,” he stressed.
Claiming the total destruction of Iran’s military capabilities, Trump added, “They had 22 mine-dropping vessels, all 22 are gone. So I guess they can still drop mines, but they’ll have to take them out by a rowboat, because they don’t have any boats. Their air force is dead, totally, completely dead. It’s out of business, with no planes left at all. Their anti-aircraft and communications capabilities are also completely dismantled.”
Trump repeatedly insisted that Iran no longer had a functioning leadership and suggested that no one in the country was willing to take charge. “This is the only country where nobody wants to lead, nobody wants to,” he said.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was elected Iran’s new Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US-Israeli military campaign on February 28, which has since escalated into a wider regional conflict in West Asia. Mojtaba was reportedly present at the same residence during the attack and is believed to have been injured.
Some Iranian officials have confirmed that Mojtaba sustained injuries, but have not provided clarity on his condition. Unconfirmed reports have claimed that he is in a coma.
The new Supreme Leader has not appeared in public since his elevation, though he has issued two statements, including an audio message, as the conflict continues unabated.
Meanwhile, the war in West Asia continues unabated, with Iran intensifying its missile strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab nations hosting US military bases. In one of the most significant incidents, a strike on Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base wounded at least 10 US service members, including two who were seriously injured, according to US officials. The attack also damaged several US refuelling aircraft stationed at the base.
Israel, on the other hand, has signalled its intent to expand military operations against Iran, even as US forces continue their strikes on Iranian targets. President Donald Trump has, however, delayed his threat to target Iran’s energy infrastructure despite Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
