Iran s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei wounded, likely disfigured- Hegseth

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been reported wounded and possibly disfigured, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday, March 13. He raised concerns about Khamenei's ability to lead after almost two weeks of assaults by the US and Israel on Iran. Since an Israeli attack at the beginning of the conflict, which claimed the lives of many of Khamenei's family members, including his father and wife, no images of him have been shown. His first remarks came from a statement read by a television host on Thursday. In this statement, he pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and urged neighboring countries to shut down US military bases in their regions, warning that Iran might target them. "We know that this so-called new leader is injured and likely disfigured. He released a statement yesterday, but it was weak, without a voice or video. It was just written," Hegseth said during a briefing. "Iran has many cameras and voice recorders. Why not a video or audio statement? You can guess why. His father is dead, he’s frightened, hurt, and in hiding, lacking legitimacy." An Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that the newly appointed supreme leader had minor injuries but was still active, as state television referred to him as war-wounded. Hegseth was joined by General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the briefing, where they highlighted US military efforts to eliminate Iran's missile, drone capabilities, and navy. However, despite the US strikes, more Iranian drones have been seen flying into Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman. Additionally, four US service members lost their lives on Friday when a US military refueling plane crashed in western Iraq. The US stated that another aircraft was involved but clarified that it was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.