Iran new supreme leader wounded, likely disfigured: US

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was injured and possibly disfigured, questioning Khamenei’s ability to govern after nearly two weeks of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

No photographs of Khamenei have been published since the Israeli attack at the beginning of the war, which killed most of his family, including his father and wife.

His first comments came in a statement read by a television presenter on Thursday. In the statement, he promised to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and called on neighboring countries to close US bases on their territory or risk Iran targeting them.

“We know that the new so-called non-religious leader was injured and possibly disfigured. He made a statement yesterday. It was actually weak, but there was no audio or video. It was a written statement,” Hegseth said at a briefing.

“There are many cameras and voice recorders in Iran. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father is dead. He is scared, injured, on the run and lacks legitimacy.”

An Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that the newly appointed supreme leader was slightly injured but continued his activities after state television described him as battle-wounded.

Hegseth was joined by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine at a briefing highlighting U.S. military strikes aimed at disabling Iran’s missile and drone capabilities and navy.

But despite US attacks on Iran, more Iranian drones are reportedly flying to Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, Bahrain and Oman.

Additionally, four US soldiers were killed on Friday when a US military refueling plane crashed in western Iraq; The incident involved another aircraft but was not the result of enemy or friendly fire, the United States said.

11 US soldiers have been killed since February 28, when the US and Israel began attacks against Iran.