Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, has issued a statement to the people of Iran, days after the US President Donald Trump questioned whether he was alive. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—who was killed on the first day of Operation Epic Fury—has not appeared in public at any point since the war began on February 28.
In a written message, Khamenei expressed gratitude to Iraq’s top Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani and the Iraqi public for their “clear stance against aggression” and backing of Iran. The statement, reported by the ISNA news agency, came after a meeting between the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad. According to the reports, the message specifically acknowledged the support of Iraq’s supreme religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, and the Iraqi people.
The ISNA news agency reported that Khamenei’s appreciation was directed at their “clear stance against aggression against Iran and their support for our country.”
It comes as the US President Donald Trump has questioned whether the new Supreme Leader of Iran, who hasn’t been seen since Operation Epic Fury began, is « even alive » in most of his interviews since the war started.
On Sunday, he said: « Nobody’s heard about him. He may be alive, but he’s obviously in trouble. He’s seriously wounded.” On regime change. The one regime was decimated, destroyed, they’re all dead. The next regime is mostly dead.
« And the third regime, we’re dealing with different people than anybody’s dealt with before. It’s a whole different group of people. So I would consider that regime change. »
During an interview with NBS news earlier, Mr Trump said: « I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him. »
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed earlier this month that the son of Ali Khamenei is « wounded and likely disfigured ».
On March 16, Khamenei issued a statement amid rumours about his status, declaring that all officials appointed by his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who was killed on the first day of Operation Epic Fury—would remain in their positions and should “continue to carry on with their work.”
He also named former Revolutionary Guards commander General Mohsen Rezaei as a military adviser. The announcement drew further attention to questions about his wellbeing, as he did not appear on television or in any recorded video to deliver it.
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