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By Goli Innocent
Donald Trump has said he believes Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive but may have been seriously affected by the ongoing war involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Speaking in an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News, Trump said the new Iranian leader might have survived the conflict but not without consequences. “I think he probably is (alive). I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” he said.
Mojtaba Khamenei emerged as Iran’s new supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was reportedly killed on the first day of the war that erupted between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other.
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Since his selection by a clerical assembly on Sunday, the new leader has not appeared publicly before Iranians. His first remarks were instead delivered by a television presenter on Thursday.
In those comments, Khamenei vowed to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed, warning neighbouring countries hosting American military bases that they could become targets if the facilities were used against Iran.
The war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iranian targets. Tehran has since retaliated with strikes on Israel and several Gulf states that host US military installations.
As the conflict approaches its second week, thousands have reportedly been killed while global financial markets remain shaken. Despite the rising toll, the leaders of Iran, Israel and the United States have all vowed to press on with the fight.
