US Claims Iran's New Supreme Leader Wounded, Disfigured in Strikes

Speaking alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, during a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth stated that the new leadership was in "no better shape" and questioned the recent statement by the Supreme Leader for its legitimacy, calling it "weak" and unusual for a country with extensive media and surveillance capabilities.

"Iran's leadership is in no better shape -- desperate and hiding, they've gone underground, cowering. That's what rats do. We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured," Hegseth said.

"He put out a statement yesterday, a weak one actually, but there was no voice and there was no video... Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders; why a written statement? I think you know why. His father is dead. He's scared, he's injured, he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first address, vowed vengeance for those who lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.

"I assure everyone that we will not forgo vengeance for the blood of your martyrs. The vengeance we have in mind is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution; rather, every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes an independent subject in the file of vengeance," he said.

"Only a limited amount of blood revenge for the martyrs has so far taken concrete form, but until it is fully achieved, this case will remain on top of all other cases. The crime that the enemy has deliberately committed regarding the Minab Tayyibah Tree School and some similar cases holds a special status in this reckoning," he added.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei also called for a continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for global energy shipments.

"Dear fighter brothers! The desire of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defence. Furthermore, the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used," he said.

The conflict in the region escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway, particularly the Strait of Hormuz and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability.

The new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, further vowed vengeance for the death of his father and others in strikes.

- ANI