By Micah Jonah, March 13, 2026
The United States has claimed that Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded, possibly disfigured during the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel against Iran.
Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth said intelligence suggested Khamenei suffered injuries following an Israeli strike early in the conflict. The attack reportedly killed several members of his family, including his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Hegseth questioned whether Mojtaba Khamenei would be able to effectively govern after the reported injuries, noting that the new leader’s first message to the public was delivered only in written form without video or audio.
Iranian officials, however, have said the leader sustained only minor injuries and continues to oversee national affairs.
The conflict has intensified significantly in recent days. U.S. officials say more than 6,000 targets in Iran have been struck during nearly two weeks of military operations aimed at weakening the country’s missile, drone and naval capabilities.
During the briefing, Hegseth also warned that U.S. forces would continue pressing military operations against Iran, declaring that American forces would show no mercy in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, Iranian drones have reportedly been detected across several Middle Eastern countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman, raising fears that the conflict could spread further across the region.
In a separate development, six U.S. service members were killed after a military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. U.S. officials said the incident involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile action.
Since the war began on February 28, at least 11 U.S. troops have died, while reports indicate that about 2,000 people have been killed in Iran amid continued air strikes and military exchanges.
