Washington, DC [US], March 17 : US President Donald Trump on Monday questioned the health and whereabouts of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, saying the leader has not been seen publicly and noting that speculation about his condition has been circulating widely.
Trump said numerous claims have emerged regarding Khamenei's condition, ranging from severe injury to even death.
Replying to a question, he said, "A lot of people are saying that he's badly disfigured. They're saying that he lost one leg, and he's been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he's dead," he said.
Trump pointed out that the Iranian leader's absence from public appearances has intensified rumours about his health.
"Nobody's saying he's 100 per cent healthy. He hasn't spoken because the Ayatollah would sit and he'd spew hate from a form of a throne... We don't know if he's dead or not. I will say this: nobody's seen him, which is unusual," he added.
The remarks come amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran following weeks of military confrontation and diplomatic pressure.
Earlier, in a recent interview with NBC News, Trump said he has heard reports that Iran's new supreme leader "is not alive," while reiterating that Washington is not currently prepared to accept Tehran's proposed terms for a peace deal.
"Iran wants to make a deal, and I don't want to make it because the terms aren't good enough yet," he said, adding that any agreement must be "very solid."
Trump also suggested that a key condition of any future deal would involve Iran fully abandoning its nuclear ambitions, though he declined to elaborate on specific negotiating demands.
Remarking on Khamenei's absence from public view, he stated, "I don't know if he's even alive. So far, nobody's been able to show him."
While acknowledging the reports of the leader's death were currently "a rumour," Trump added, "I'm hearing he's not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that's surrender."
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed these sentiments on Friday, suggesting that the younger Khamenei was "wounded and likely disfigured" following recent military strikes.
Hegseth characterised a recent written statement from the leader as "a weak one," claiming that the Iranian head of state is "scared," "injured," and "lacks legitimacy."
Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Monday appointed former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei as his military adviser, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iran's Mehr News Agency.
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