Mojtaba Khamenei has succeeded his father in Iran.
12:38, Fri, Mar 13, 2026 Updated: 13:30, Fri, Mar 13, 2026
Mojtaba Khamenei (Image: Getty)
The new supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, is "wounded" and "likely disfigured", the US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has said. Hegseth points to a written statement from Mojtaba that was read out on Iranian state television the previous day, questioning why no video or audio of Mojtaba himself was shown.
He said: "We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured. He put out a statement yesterday – a weak one actually – but there was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement. He called for unity… apparently killing tens of thousands of protesters is his kind o unity."
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth spoke to the media today (Image: Getty)
The defence secretary further said that Iran's military capability has been dramatically degraded. He said the Iranian regime will only see the stars and stripes of the USA and Israel’s star of David, which he describes as “their worst nightmare”.
Mr Hegseth said Iran’s missile launches had dropped by about 90%, and its one‑way attack drones were down 95% the previous day, adding that Iran currently lacks the capacity to produce additional weapons. He also insisted that the United States is managing Iran’s attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and that the situation is not something people need to be concerned about.
He added: "Their production lines, their military plants, their defence innovation centres; defeated. Iran’s leadership is in no better shape. Desperate and hiding, they’ve gone underground, cowering – that’s what rats do."
The Defence Secretary argues that Iran’s leadership is in hiding, while the United States remains resolute, with its options “maximised” and its military strength continuing to grow.
He said President Trump is firmly in control, setting the pace and direction of the conflict. According to Hegseth, the US is preparing to carry out what he describes as the largest wave of strikes it has yet launched over Iran.
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During the press conference, Hegseth said there was no definitive evidence that Iran had laid new mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a view that differed from earlier reports claiming Tehran had deployed around a dozen mines in the waterway, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil.
When asked directly about the possibility of mines in the strait, Hegseth responded cautiously, emphasising that current assessments did not confirm their presence. He said: "We have heard them talk about it just like you’ve reported recklessly and wildly about it. But ... we have no clear evidence of that."
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English (US) · 