- Donald Trump says he’s “hearing” Iran’s new leader is dead – and calls for him to surrender should he still be alive.
- Meanwhile, the Iranian military has vowed to kill Israel’s prime minister
- ‘Unsurprising’ supreme leader remains unseen, says former MI6 chief
Iranian Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive and well, says Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
Araghchi, speaking on a post on his Telegram account, also lays out Iran’s latest talking points on key elements of the conflict.
“The leader of the revolution is in good health and is fully managing the situation,” reads the post, which summarises an interview Araghchi gave to The New Arab.
President Trump has earlier said the new Supreme Leader may be dead – despite Iranian TV reading a statement attributed to him earlier this week in which he vowed to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Sky’s US partner, NBC News, Trump said: “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him…
“I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender… Some of them think he’s alive but very badly wounded.”
His comments come a day after Pete Hegseth, the war secretary, said the supreme leader was likely “disfigured” after being wounded in US-Israeli attacks.
Meanwhile, former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett says it is “not at all surprising” that Iran’s new supreme leader has not yet made a public appearance.
Mojtaba Khamenei was “clearly injured” in an attack two weeks and he is mourning his family, Sir Scarlett tells Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
“My understanding from what I hear… is that he was injured, but it wasn’t life-threatening and that he will recover and he will reappear.”
Donald Trump yesterday speculated Khamenei may be dead – something Iran’s foreign minister denied this morning.
“You have to also remember that there is a tradition of a 40-day mourning period,” says Scarlett.
Written with reports from Sky News
