Hegseth: Iran’s new leader injured and in hiding

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had been injured and was apparently maimed. Speaking at a briefing, he questioned Khamenei’s authority and ability to lead the country, noting that he has not appeared in public since his appointment on 8 March. Although he issued his first statement on Thursday, he did not appear in person or read it himself.

According to Hegseth, the Iranian leadership is in chaos, the new ayatollah is in hiding and he lacks legitimacy. He also highlighted the scale of the US-Israeli strikes, which reportedly hit more than 15,000 targets over 14 days.

Speculation about Khamenei’s health has been circulating for several days.

Sky News also reported that Israeli intelligence believes he sustained minor injuries in the attack in which his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed.

Iranian state television, meanwhile, described him as a ‘wounded veteran of the Ramadan War’. The New York Times, citing Iranian sources, reported that he also suffered leg injuries and is hiding in a heavily guarded location.

(pir)