Trump says Iran’s new supreme leader ‘alive in some form’

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said he believes Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive “in some form,” Fox News reported.

“I think he probably is. I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump said in an interview scheduled to air Friday.

His remarks came after Khamenei made his first public address Thursday as supreme leader and signaled that Iran would not back down in the war with the US and Israel.

Khamenei, who assumed leadership after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, has not appeared publicly since the conflict escalated. His absence has fueled widespread rumors about his health.

Trump also addressed concerns about maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route that has faced disruption.

He suggested that vessels wanting to traverse the Strait should "go through the strait of Hormuz and show some guts,” according to Fox News.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. They have no Navy and we sunk all their ships," he was quoted as saying.