Hegseth Claims Iran's New Supreme Leader "Wounded and Disfigured," Calls Tehran Leadership "Desperate and Hiding"

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday claimed that Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, had been wounded and was likely disfigured in US strikes on the country, as he delivered a sharp assessment of Tehran's leadership during a Pentagon briefing.

Speaking alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine, Hegseth described Iran's new leadership as "desperate and hiding" and said the country's top officials had "gone underground."

"Iran's leadership is in no better shape — desperate and hiding; they've gone underground, cowering. We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured," Hegseth said.

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Hegseth also cast doubt on the authenticity and strength of the recent public statement attributed to Khamenei, calling it "weak" and questioning why a country with Iran's extensive media and surveillance apparatus had produced such an unusual communication from its new Supreme Leader.

He suggested the nature of the statement itself was indicative of the leadership's precarious position amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.