Trump says Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but seriously wounded after February strikes

US President Donald Trump has said he believes Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but was seriously wounded in the strikes that killed his father. His comments came after fresh reporting and renewed speculation about the younger Khamenei's fate. Trump made the remarks in an interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck, saying he did not think Khamenei was dead.

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Trump said the injuries were severe, describing damage to the left side of Khamenei's body, including his arm and leg. He said his view was based in part on the behaviour of Iranian negotiators, whom he said were still seeking a final blessing on matters from Khamenei. The comments were made as speculation circulated again about the Iranian figure's condition.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was selected as ayatollah by Iran's Assembly of Experts on 8 March, days after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the joint US-Israeli strikes of 28 February that launched the war. He has not appeared in public, in photographs or in any verified video or audio recording since his appointment. He was also absent from his father's funeral ceremonies in July, adding to questions about his whereabouts and health.

The issue matters because Mojtaba Khamenei is widely seen as a significant figure in Iran's political and religious succession landscape. Any uncertainty over his condition feeds into wider questions about continuity at the top of Iran's leadership after the war began. It also comes as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a broader confrontation shaped by the February strikes and their aftermath.

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Further reporting has added to the uncertainty, with unnamed sources close to the Iranian government saying Tehran has been abuzz with speculation about his fate. A former official and Khamenei relative, Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaght, said fewer than five people had met with Khamenei since March because of security precautions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also said communication with Khamenei had become extremely difficult, while earlier US media reports cited unnamed Iranian officials saying he had suffered serious injuries, multiple surgeries and difficulty speaking.

Tehran has not confirmed those accounts, and the exact state of Khamenei remains unclear. Trump also used the interview to comment on the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was effectively open, although the waterway remains formally closed to unrestricted commercial traffic under Iranian authority. The next developments to watch are whether Iranian officials make any public statement on Khamenei's condition and whether the speculation affects internal political calculations in Tehran.

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