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US President Donald Trump has stated that he believes Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive, though he suffered severe injuries during ongoing military operations, as mystery continues to shroud the appearance of the Iranian leader.
Speaking in an interview with US commentator Glenn Beck, Trump addressed widespread speculation regarding Khamenei's fate following months of public absence. "I don't think he's dead," Trump told Beck. "He was very seriously wounded. The left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing. He was very seriously wounded, but I don't think he's dead." Trump added that if the Iranian leader is indeed incapacitated or deceased, Tehran is maintaining an elaborate deception. "If he is, they're putting on a pretty good show because they talk about, you know, going back to talk to him all the time... to get a final blessing on things. But, you know, you make a deal with them, it's like--not to be--it's not the most honorable group. I will tell you that." Shifting focus to ongoing military and strategic operations, Trump lauded the performance of the US armed forces and the economic posture of the country. Highlighting recent maritime engagements, he noted, "We took out 22 boats last night. We have people coming in, the blockade. Our Navy has been unbelievable. Our military has been unbelievable." Attributing success to broader national capabilities, Trump emphasised that American financial strength has scaled up dramatically over the past year and a half. Concluding his assessment, the President expressed absolute confidence in the trajectory of current campaigns, stating, "Those things are going toward a very big victory. We had the victory in Venezuela, and we're going to have a big victory here." On Tuesday, Al Arabiya reported that Iran's Fars News released archival footage of the Iranian Supreme Leader. According to Al Arabiya, the footage was reportedly filmed before Khamenei became the Supreme Leader. He was seen surrounded by a group of people who offered prayers before beginning their discussions. Notably, this is the second time in August that a video of Khamenei has been released by Iranian media. Earlier in August, days after Israeli media claimed that Iran's Supreme Leader was in critical condition and had been rushed to a hospital, Iran's semi-official Mehr News agency released an undated video showing Mojtaba Khamenei appearing to be in good health. The video of Mojtaba Khamenei was published for the first time by Mehr, a semi-official news agency sponsored by the government of Iran and run by the Iranian government's Islamic Development Organisation, as an effort to negate mounting speculation over Khamenei's health and whereabouts. Previously, Israeli media reports had claimed that Khamenei was in an "extremely critical condition". Channel 14, citing sources inside Iran, and an earlier report by The Jerusalem Post, quoting IranWire and sources close to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration, reported that concerns over his health were circulating within Iran's leadership. Shortly thereafter, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "completely healthy", dismissing speculations regarding his physical condition, according to a report by the ISNA news agency. "Someone who can sit and discuss for seven to eight hours cannot have any health problems," the President said, noting that he had held a "very good" meeting with Khamenei earlier in August. Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position of Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28. Since assuming the role, Mojtaba Khamenei has not made any public appearances, communicating exclusively through written statements. (ANI)
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