On Monday, President Trump expressed uncertainty regarding the status of Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, questioning whether he is alive.
Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as the successor to his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during the outset of a coordinated US-Israeli airstrike campaign.
“We have not heard from the son,” Trump stated to the press. “We don’t know if he’s living.”
It is believed that Mojtaba Khamenei sustained injuries during the attack that claimed his father’s life, though conflicting reports have surfaced regarding the severity of those injuries.
Since assuming the role of supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has communicated solely through written messages, which have been broadcast by state television.
“[Ali] Khamenei was killed,” President Trump confirmed. “Khamenei’s son is unavailable. Nobody knows what happened to him. I can say they haven’t seen him there either. Something is going on with him. But regardless, I don’t consider him really the leader, but they do have some leaders left.”
