US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Iran’s New Supreme Leader ‘is Wounded and Likely Disfigured’

Washington: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is wounded and “likely disfigured.”

Khamenei took over Iran’s leadership following his father’s death. The younger Khamenei has not been seen or heard from publicly since the war started, leading to speculation about his whereabouts and health condition.

On Thursday he made his first public statements, resolving to keep fighting, promising more pain for Gulf Arab states and threatening to open “other fronts” in a war that has already disrupted world energy supplies, the global economy and international travel.

Hegseth did not elaborate on or give evidence about Khamenei’s condition.

Iran’s missile volume down 90%, drones down 95%

Hegseth also offered new details on the operation against Iran at a Friday news conference from the Pentagon, noting the impact of U.S. and Israeli air strikes on the Islamic Republic.

Hegseth said that over 15,000 enemy targets have been struck, which is more than 1000 a day since the war began on Feb. 28.

Iran’s drone attacks in retaliation of the operation have been deadly and include a fatal attack in Kuwait that killed six American soldiers.

Hegseth says US is working to make sure ‘energy flows’ through Strait of Hormuz

Pete Hegseth told reporters that Iran is “exercising sheer desperation” in the Strait of Hormuz, which the Iran war has closed, blocking a significant portion of the world’s oil.

He told reporters at a Friday news conference from the Pentagon that “we’re dealing with it.” He did not give details.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that the U.S. military has “made it a priority to target Iran’s minelaying enterprise” impacting the strategic waterway.

Stopping Iran’s nuclear program remains ‘core mission’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said ending Iran’s nuclear weapons program remains a “core mission” as U.S. and Israeli strikes on the country continue.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth said President Donald Trump is focused on ending Iran’s ability to manufacture nuclear weapons for good.

Hegseth would not say whether ground forces will be needed to secure Iran’s supply of enriched uranium or its nuclear facilities, but said the U.S. is considering a range of options. He said he would welcome a decision by Iran’s leaders to voluntarily give up their program.

“We’ve said from the beginning: deny Iran nuclear weapons,” Hegseth said.

Caine gives details of 4 US airmen killed in refueling plane crash

Pete Hegseth said that “war is chaos” and that the sacrifice of those killed “will only recommit us to the resolve of this mission” as he acknowledged the crash of an American KC-135 military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran.

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that four airmen had been recovered in what he described as an incident that occurred “over friendly territory in western Iraq” and was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said Thursday that two aircraft had been involved in Thursday’s incident, and that one landed safely while the other went down.

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