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United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “wounded” as the United States and Israel continue attacks on the country.
“We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth told a news conference alongside Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Hegseth also claimed that Iran’s leadership is “in no better shape, desperate and hiding.”
“They've gone underground. That's what rats do,” he added.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed to succeed his father, released his first statement Thursday but did not appear in person and did not read it out himself.
Hegseth called the statement "a weak one."
"There was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement," he added.
Iran, however, told international media that Mojtaba Khamenei is injured but in good condition.
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera published Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei addressed the ongoing regional escalation and condemned the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Iran harbors no hostility toward neighboring countries, Baqaei said, while arguing that the U.S. military presence in the region creates “mistrust.”
Noting that Tehran remains in close contact with neighboring countries, Baqaei also addressed European concerns about rising oil prices.
The Iranian diplomat called on European countries to “stand against this injustice,” adding that Tehran would welcome them acting as mediators.
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Regional tensions have intensified since Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
The strikes have killed around 1,300 people and injured more than 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that host U.S. military assets.
Mojtaba Khamenei was declared earlier this week the successor to his father, Ali Khamenei.
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