Demonstrators hold posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, rally in support of Palestinians in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday he believes Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is wounded.
"We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured," Hegseth told a press conference.
Khamenei issued a written statement on Thursday but has remained in hiding since taking over from his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in bombing at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran on February 28. Iranian officials have confirmed the new leader is wounded but have given no further detail.
