Pete Hegseth launched a verbal attack on Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, labeling him a ‘rat’ and challenging the ‘disfigured’ Ayatollah to make a public appearance.

During a Pentagon press conference on Friday, the Secretary of War offered his first evaluation of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s health. Khamenei became the country’s leader following the death of his father.

“Iran’s leadership is faltering,” Hegseth asserted. “In desperation, they’ve gone into hiding. They’re behaving like rats, cowering underground.”

Addressing journalists, Hegseth said, “We are aware that the new so-called supreme leader is injured and possibly disfigured.”

This week, reports surfaced claiming that a strike that led to the demise of the former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, also wounded his son. Installed as his successor after Operation Epic Fury, the new leader’s health has become the subject of speculation, with rumors suggesting he might be missing limbs, in a coma, or even deceased.

Trump says he thinks Iran’s new supreme leader probably alive but ‘damaged’

During a virtual G7 meeting on Wednesday, President Trump reportedly told world leaders that Ayatollah Khamenei “is not in good shape.”

‘Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender,’ Trump said, claim officials who were briefed on the call.

The President has said that the conflict will result in Iran’s surrender – whether they explicitly state that they have lost or not.

Trump told Fox News on Thursday when asked about Mojtaba Khamenei: ‘I think he probably is [alive].’

‘I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,’ he added.

Hegseth challenges Khamenei to appear on camera

Hegseth challenged Khamenei to appear on camera after his first public message since the conflict began nearly two weeks ago was written and read out on Iranian state media.

‘He put out a statement yesterday. A weak one, actually, but there was no voice. And there was no video. It was a written statement,’ Hegseth lamented.

‘Iran has plenty of cameras and voice recorders,’ he said at Friday’s briefing. ‘Why a written statement? I think you know why.’

Hegseth insisted of the 56-year-old Ayatollah: ‘He is scared. He is injured. He is on the run.’

The Pentagon chief concluded that Iran doesn’t know who’s in charge after their 86-year-old former supreme leader was killed by joint Israeli-US strikes that kicked off the war on February 28, 2026.

Written Statement

The Ayatollah’s written statement was read out on his behalf by a news anchor on state TV on Thursday. CNN was slammed for airing the entire four-minutes in full. 

The statement comes amid rumors that the new leader is in a coma, lost his leg or even dead. Demonstrators have taken to the streets and displayed Mojtaba Khamenei’s image in support of the new leader. 

His absence since the war began has only fueled rumors that he’s either too ill to record a message or died in an airstrike.

The statement says that Iran will not refrain from avenging the ‘blood of its martyrs.’

Iran’s new supreme leader releases first statement amid ‘coma’ reports 

Iran’s new supreme leader has ordered his nation to weaponise the Strait of Hormuz in his first statement, amid claims he is ‘in a coma’ and has lost a leg after being seriously injured in air strikes. 

A written statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was read out by a news anchor on state TV this afternoon. 

He himself did not appear on national TV. Amid rumours of his incapacitation, serious questions over who is in charge of Iran linger over the nation as it continues to duke it out with the US, Israel and its Gulf neighbours. 

Mojtaba, added in the written statement that Iran would not refrain from avenging the ‘blood of its martyrs.’ The Iranian leader, who took over from his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his assassination on February 28, added that while he believes in maintaining a friendship with Iran’s Gulf neighbours, attacks on US bases in the region will continue. 

He said: ‘We are not an enemy of the countries around us, and we are only targeting the bases of those Americans.’

The newly declared Ayatollah added that Iran needed to improve relations with its neighbours: ‘We send a message to the leaders of the region and emphasise that we are going to have good relations with the countries around us.’ 

He called for all American bases in the region to be immediately closed: ‘The existence of the US bases in [Iran’s neighbours] and usage of those bases to attack Iran is not benefiting the region and they must be closed.’ 

He also said Iran will seek compensation from its enemies or destroy their assets accordingly, and offered financial compensation to those in Iran who have been hurt by the outbreak of violence. 

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