Image: from Prime X @nucleusprime
By Open Chronicle Foreign Desk
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a scathing assessment of Iran’s new leadership on Friday, claiming that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured” during the opening salvos of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign.
Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing alongside Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hegseth suggested that the successor to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is currently incapacitated and operating from an underground bunker.
“We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth told reporters. “They’ve gone underground. That’s what rats do when they’re desperate and hiding.”
🚨BREAKING: Pete Hegseth CONFIRMS Mojtaba Khamenei is hiding and is wounded:
“We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured. Desperate and hiding, they've gone undergroung. Cowering. That's what rats do.”
Holy shit.
— Vivid.🇮🇱 (@VividProwess) March 13, 2026
A Leadership in the Shadows
The comments come amid intense speculation regarding the health of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was officially elevated to the position by the Assembly of Experts on March 8, 2026. The appointment followed the February 28 assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, during a massive strike on Tehran that also claimed the lives of several other family members.
Since his appointment, Mojtaba has not made a single public appearance or video address. While Iranian state media released a written statement attributed to him on Thursday, vowing to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and calling for “effective and regret-inducing defense,” the lack of visual proof of life has fueled rumors of his demise or severe injury.
Escalating Military Pressure
Hegseth’s briefing served as a status report on the two-week-old conflict, which has seen over 15,000 targets struck within Iran. The Defense Secretary claimed that Iran’s military capabilities have been “dramatically degraded” and warned that U.S. strikes would intensify in the coming days.
“The regime is in no shape to lead,” Hegseth added, tying the leader’s physical condition to the broader success of the coalition’s effort to dismantle Tehran’s command and control structure.
The Pentagon’s aggressive rhetoric mirrors a series of provocative social media posts from President Donald Trump, who earlier Friday described the Iranian regime as “obliterated” and “wiped from the face of the earth.”
Despite the U.S. claims, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to project an image of continuity. Senior officials in Tehran, including Ali Larijani, have dismissed reports of Mojtaba’s critical condition as “signs of enemy desperation,” insisting the new leader remains in full command of all military operations.
Key Developments in the Conflict:
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Target Count: U.S. officials claim over 1,000 strikes per day are being conducted against Iranian infrastructure.
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Strait of Hormuz: Shipping remains gridlocked as Iran maintains its threat to use the trade artery as a “tool of pressure.”
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Regional Fallout: A U.S. refueling plane crashed in Iraq earlier today, resulting in four confirmed deaths.
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Diplomacy: High-level talks between Tehran and Washington are reportedly being brokered by regional powers in Oman for later this Friday.