**WASHINGTON** — President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “90% gone” after U.S. and allied strikes, an assertion that has not been independently verified and that Iranian authorities have not publicly confirmed.
The remark, first made as military operations intensified, comes amid a broader U.S. campaign that Washington says is aimed at degrading Iranian military infrastructure, including air-defense systems, missile sites and command facilities. The administration has described the strikes as an effort to reduce threats to U.S. forces, partners and commercial shipping in the region.
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the opening wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February. The younger Khamenei has not been seen in public since, fueling months of speculation about his condition. Iranian officials have said he was wounded and have cited security concerns for his absence. Some later U.S. comments from Trump have been more measured, saying he does not believe Khamenei is dead but that he was “very seriously wounded.”
**Condition remains unverified**
Independent confirmation of Khamenei’s health is limited. Intelligence assessments and Iranian accounts have circulated privately, but no verified public footage or medical evidence has settled the question. Officials in Tehran have continued to issue statements in his name and have rejected rumors that he is dead as psychological warfare.
Any confirmed change at the top of Iran’s leadership would have major implications for the country’s command structure, succession politics and negotiations with the United States. For now, those questions remain open.
**Military campaign and regional risk**
The United States says it has targeted Iranian assets viewed as threats to American personnel and freedom of navigation, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global energy shipments. The full extent of damage is difficult to assess while operations continue. Iranian officials have offered competing accounts and have framed the conflict in their own political and military terms.
Markets and governments continue to watch the waterway closely. Further escalation could raise risks for military personnel, civilians and commercial vessels across the region.
**What comes next**
Trump’s claim is among the most striking public assessments of Iran’s leadership since the war began, but it remains a presidential statement rather than an established fact. Investigators, intelligence agencies and independent reporting will be needed to determine Khamenei’s condition, the true state of Iran’s military infrastructure and whether diplomacy can limit further fighting.
The situation remains fluid. Additional information is expected as both governments press competing narratives and as outside observers try to separate verified developments from wartime claims.
