Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive but has suffered significant injuries affecting the left side of his body.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump conveyed this information during a conversation with political commentator Glenn Beck. He remarked that if Khamenei were deceased, the Iranian government is convincingly pretending otherwise by maintaining that they are in regular consultation with him.
The ongoing conflict with Iran, which commenced on February 28 with joint US and Israeli military actions, is predicted by Trump to end 'fairly soon.' He reiterated claims that the US has successfully reopened the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil passage.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has countered Trump's assertion, stating the waterway will remain closed until the US meets Tehran's demands and reinstates a framework agreement established in June. Despite Iran's denial, Trump announced that 10 million barrels of oil passed through the strait on Tuesday, with 22 vessels navigating safely overnight. On Tuesday, he also claimed that all mines in the strait had been neutralized, a statement Iran refuted, asserting exclusive knowledge of the mines' locations.
Trump expressed optimism by comparing the situation in Iran to the January 3 US operation in Venezuela, predicting a forthcoming 'big victory.' In a separate discussion with Al Jazeera, Trump labeled both economic warfare and military actions against Iran as 'effective.' His administration recently initiated Operation Economic Outcast, an extensive sanctions strategy designed to further isolate Iran from international financial networks.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described this campaign as the 'economic asphyxiation' of Iran, aiming to cut off its economic resources. Trump, in a phone interview with Al Jazeera, stated that he is in no rush to resume talks with Iran, emphasizing the absence of a specific timeline.
Public opinion in the US shows growing disapproval of the war, exacerbated by rising costs due to disrupted trade routes. In mid-June, a 14-point framework agreement was signed in Islamabad, involving Iran, the US, Pakistan, and Qatar, outlining steps to end hostilities, open the strait, lift a US naval blockade, and initiate a 60-day negotiation period. Tehran has accused the US of neglecting crucial elements of this memorandum.