US President Claims Iran's Supreme Leader '90% Gone' Amid Renewed Strikes
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has lost significant military capability and that its supreme leader is '90 per cent gone' following a series of US-Israeli strikes. The remarks come as hostilities between the US and Iran have resumed after a months-long ceasefire.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said: 'They have no navy, they have no air force, it's all gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone, their leaders have all been killed, their best leaders have been killed.' He further stated that 'Khomeini is gone' — apparently referring to Ali Khamenei, the late Supreme Leader who was killed on 28 February — and that 'his son is 90 per cent gone.'
The son in question is Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since 28 February, when he was reportedly injured in the same strikes that killed his father. His extended absence has led to widespread speculation about his health and whereabouts, though no official confirmation has been provided.
The strikes mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. Trump has formally notified the US Congress that military action against Iran resumed last week, and he has ordered multiple rounds of strikes on Iranian targets. He also suggested that the United States will begin charging other nations for safe passage through strategic waterways, a policy shift that would depart from longstanding US support for freedom of navigation.
Iran responded to the strikes by attacking targets near Bahrain and two tankers associated with the United Arab Emirates traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks resulted in the death of one Indian-origin mariner and wounded eight others. The UAE has threatened to retaliate, potentially drawing the nation back into direct confrontation with Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint through which, in peacetime, approximately one-fifth of global crude oil and natural gas supplies transit. Both the US and Iran are vying for control of this strategic waterway, heightening tensions in the region.
The claims made by President Trump regarding the status of Mojtaba Khamenei have not been independently verified. The situation remains fluid, with both nations conducting military operations and diplomatic efforts apparently stalled.
