Iran says the Ayatollah is alive after Trump suggested he died

 

Iran has said the new Ayatollah is alive after Donald Trump suggested he heard the newly chosen supreme leader was ‘not’.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi wrote: ‘The leader of the revolution is in good health and is fully managing the situation.’

Mojtaba Khamenei was selected to replace his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the top role last week after the US and Israel carried out a targeted assassination at the beginning of the war.

But he has still not made a public appearance, and did not appear on camera to issue his first message of vengeance on Thursday.

Instead, state media published a written statement, saying: ‘I assure everyone that we will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs.’

It is believed the younger Khamenei sustained injuries in the blast that killed his father and much of his family, but the extent of them is unknown.

Reports range from a fractured foot and minor lacerations to his face, to the loss of a leg or even Khamenei being placed in a coma

On Thursday, there were reports that Khamenei was in a coma after suffering injuries in an air strike.

Later that day, he published his first message – a written statement, without showing his face, and sparking interest in whether Khamenei was actually alive or not.

Rumours still swirled that the supreme leader was in a coma, and on Friday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested he was wounded and ‘likely disfigured’.

Around ten hours ago, in an interview with NBC News, President Trump said: ‘I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him.’

The President 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.’

However, he also described news of the new supreme leader’s death as a ‘rumour’.

Within the last hour, however, Iranian state media appeared to counter that claim – saying Khamenei was alive and well, despite not appearing on camera.