Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is "90% gone", claimed US President Donald Trump as Washington intensified strikes on Iran, and asserted that Tehran's military and top leadership had been effectively destroyed.
Speaking on the phone to Fox News on Monday, Trump said Iran's navy and air force had been wiped out and its anti-aircraft defences eliminated.
"They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, it's all gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone. Their leaders have all been killed, their best leaders have been killed. They're gone," he said.
Referring to Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Supreme Leader, Trump said: "Khomeini is gone. The son is 90% gone."
BREAKING: TRUMP:
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) July 13, 2026
“Khamenei is gone, the son is 90% gone” pic.twitter.com/KBcvJ11usL
Trump also took aim at The New York Times, saying the newspaper had claimed Iran was "doing better today", and cited Iranian inflation running at 350%, up from around 5% six months ago.
ALSO READ: 'POTUS Is Absolutely Right': Iran Mocks Trump Over 20% Toll On Hormuz Cargo Shipping
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, a Shi'ite cleric sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2019, was named Iran's third Supreme Leader in March, days after his father's death, despite Trump publicly voicing disappointment at the choice.
He is reported to be recovering from injuries sustained in an airstrike and did not attend his father's funeral ceremonies held in Iran and Iraq earlier this month.
His three brothers, Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud, attended and performed the funeral prayers in Tehran, along with other coffins of family members killed in the strike.
Mojtaba's continued absence, even reportedly barred over assassination fears, has fuelled speculation in Tehran over the true extent of his condition.
The US has offered a bounty of up to 10 million dollars for information on his whereabouts.
Trump's remarks come as the US resumes strikes on Iran following the collapse of an earlier ceasefire, with the president also saying Washington was likely to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and expected other countries to contribute financially towards securing it.
ALSO READ: Iran Attacks Two UAE Oil Tankers In Hormuz, One Indian Killed, Six Injured
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
