US President Donald Trump has said he believes Iran's newly-appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive in "some form", even though he has not appeared publicly since assuming office following the outbreak of the war in Iran.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News' The Brian Kilmeade Show, Trump suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei may have been injured but is likely still alive.
"I think he probably is. I think he is damaged, but I think he's probably alive in some form, you know," Fox News quoted Trump as saying.
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His remarks came hours after Iranian state media carried the new supreme leader's first public comments since taking office. In the statement, Khamenei reportedly vowed to continue the fight and warned Gulf Arab states of further consequences. He also threatened to open "other fronts" in the conflict, which has already disrupted global energy supplies, the world economy and international travel.
Trump urges ships to pass through Strait of Hormuz
Trump also addressed the challenges commercial vessels are facing while navigating the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.
He suggested that ships should continue sailing through the strait despite tensions in the region.
"They should go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts," he said.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. They have no Navy and we sunk all their ships," the president was quoted as saying.
Mojtaba Khamenei keeping a 'file of revenge'
The current conflict began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The attacks targeted Iran’s nuclear ambitions and resulted in the death of then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strikes triggered a series of missile and drone exchanges that continue to affect the wider Gulf region.
In the days following his death, Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as the new supreme leader.
Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to maintain close ties with Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and is widely seen as more hardline than his father.
In a statement read by a state television news anchor, Khamenei said he was keeping a "file of revenge".
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However, questions about his condition and whereabouts have continued to grow. Despite the statement attributed to him, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared on camera.
According to an Iranian ambassador, he has not been seen since the war in which his father and wife were killed and he himself was injured.
