US President Donald Trump Says Mojtaba Khamenei Damaged but Probably Alive; Tehran Denies Coma Reports
Key Takeaways
- Conflicting reports about Mojtaba Khamenei's health and absence of public images
- US officials, including Trump and Hegseth, say he was wounded and possibly disfigured
- Tehran denies coma reports and the new leader vows to keep Strait of Hormuz closed
Trump's assessment and uncertainty
President Donald Trump publicly said he believes Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is likely alive but wounded, telling Fox News Radio “I think he probably is,” and that “I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know.”
“ANI |Updated:Mar 13, 2026 20:05 IST Washington DC [US], March 13 (ANI): US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday claimed that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, is "wounded and likely disfigured" in strikes by the US on the country, describing the new leadership in Tehran as "desperate and hiding" amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia”
That assessment sits alongside intelligence reporting that Iran’s top leadership “remained largely intact and not at risk of imminent collapse,” while some commentators argued Mojtaba’s position looked weak: “His father is dead. He's scared, he's injured, he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them.”
Injury reports and appearances
Conflicting reports of catastrophic injuries and silence have driven speculation.
One widely circulated account cited by Business Today relayed tabloid claims that Mojtaba was in a coma and gravely hurt — “One or two of his legs have been cut off. His liver or stomach has also ruptured. He is apparently in a coma as well,” — while other reporting noted Tehran had not produced public appearances that would settle the question.
At the same time, ANI reported that the new leader did give “his first address” and vowed retaliation, and Nikkei described stepped-up security on Tehran streets — “Security forces are everywhere, more than before. People are afraid to come out, but supermarkets are open.”
Tehran's messaging counters claims
Tehran’s public messaging and actions have generally undercut the most extreme incapacity claims.
“The stability of Iran's leadership remains shrouded in uncertainty as conflicting reports emerge regarding the health of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei”
ANI printed Mojtba’s vow — “I assure everyone that we will not forgo vengeance for the blood of your martyrs... The vengeance we have in mind is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution; rather, every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes an independent subject in the file of vengeance,” — while Nikkei quoted Iranian officials signalling a new status quo: “After the current events, generally we cannot return to conditions before February 28.”
Business Today captured the competing narratives by noting that while the White House suggested survival, other reports (including tabloid accounts) continued to assert a coma and severe wounds.
Hormuz threat and context
Mojtaba’s declarations also raised immediate strategic warnings: ANI recorded his call that “the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used,” and Nikkei reported Tehran’s broader stance that it would keep oil shipments constrained — “Iran has said it will not let oil back through the strait until U.S. and Israeli attacks cease.”
Business Today placed these developments in the context of the strikes that killed his father, noting those injuries were linked to the same operations — “These injuries are believed to have been sustained during the same "Operation Epic Fury" strikes that killed his father.”
Regional fallout and casualties
The broader violence has already produced damage to shipping and casualties.
“ANI |Updated:Mar 13, 2026 20:05 IST Washington DC [US], March 13 (ANI): US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday claimed that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, is "wounded and likely disfigured" in strikes by the US on the country, describing the new leadership in Tehran as "desperate and hiding" amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia”
Nikkei described two tankers ablaze in an Iraqi port after suspected explosive-laden boat strikes and reported that “At least one crew member was killed,” while ANI said the conflict “escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28,”
Business Today highlighted how the episode has fed into competing narratives in Washington and Tehran — capturing the mix of battlefield, intelligence and media claims shaping public perception.
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