Trump admits US doesn't know if new Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is 'dead or not'
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On Monday, President Trump speculated extensively about the whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei, noting that his absence from public view has raised questions. This comes as new audio suggests that the Iranian supreme leader initially survived the attack that claimed his father’s life last month.

“There’s a lot of chatter suggesting he’s severely injured,” Trump remarked to reporters in the White House East Room. “Some say he lost a leg and is in critical condition. Others believe he might be dead,” he added.


A woman holds a poster of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
A woman holding up a poster of Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in Tehran on March 13, 2026. AP

The audio reported by the Telegraph is from remarks delivered March 12 by Mazaher Hosseini, a top Iranian government official.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife and son were killed instantly in the Israeli strike and his brother-in-law was decapitated.

Much remains to be learned about the younger Khamenei, who is one of six children of the late ayatollah. 

US intelligence indicates Khamenei may be gay — and that his father feared his suitability to rule the Islamic Republic for that reason, The Post revealed earlier Monday.

Trump couldn’t contain his surprise and laughed aloud when he was briefed on the intel, according to sources.

Publicly, the president has said he’s “not happy” with the new leader, whom he has dismissed as a “lightweight” and described as a “mistake” of a choice by Iran.

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