"Wounded and likely disfigured": US Defence Secretary claims Iran's Supreme Leader is in hiding

WASHINGTON: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in a joint Israeli-U.S. strike. Speaking at a joint press conference with Army General Dan Kaine, Hegseth stated that the Iranian leadership is now in hiding. General Kaine added that today would mark the largest attack on Iran to date, noting that Iran's military capabilities are waning as the U.S. continues to target its defence and industrial infrastructure.

Hegseth reported that joint forces have struck more than 15,000 targets across Iran. According to his assessment, Iran's air defence systems have been destroyed and its missile capabilities have been reduced by over 90 percent. However, General Kaine cautioned that Iran still retains the ability to strike friendly forces and commercial vessels.

Recently, Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement vowing to avenge the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei. He issued a stern warning, demanding the immediate closure of Gulf Arab bases that support American forces, and threatened that attacks would continue if those bases are used to facilitate strikes on Iranian territory.