WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday he believes Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei survived a February airstrike but was gravely injured, pushing back on rumors that the leader may have died in secret after disappearing from public view during the US-Israeli war with Iran.
“I don’t think he’s dead. He was very seriously wounded. The left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing,” Trump said during an interview with radio host Glenn Beck.
“He was very seriously wounded, but I don’t think he’s dead. And if he is, they’re putting on a pretty good show,” Trump added.
The president said Iranian peace negotiators have repeatedly referred to needing to “go back” to Khamenei for final approval, suggesting to him that the supreme leader remains a factor in decision-making.
Still, Trump cast doubt on Tehran’s credibility, saying, “it’s not the most honorable group, I will tell you that.”
Trump also pointed to US military activity around the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “You know, we have the Strait open. We took out 22 boats last night. We have people coming in. The blockade, our navy has been unbelievable. Our military has been unbelievable.”
His remarks came in response to a report in The Atlantic that quoted an Iranian official as saying, “I believe Mojtaba has either passed away or is brain-dead.”
In March, Trump confirmed he had received a CIA briefing involving intelligence that Khamenei may be gay, arguing that such a claim “puts him off to a bad start in that particular country.”
Trump envoys have struggled to negotiate an end to the war, which the president initially projected would take four weeks.
A cease-fire in place since April 8 and a memorandum of understanding that he signed June 17 crumbled last month when Iran attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration this week launched Operation Economic Outcast, aiming to sever Iran’s economic ties with countries such as China and Russia.
“We had the victory in Venezuela, and we’re going to have a big victory here very soon,” Trump told Beck.
