Israel ‘knows’ where Iran’s leader is after Trump suggests he’s dead
Iran’s missing-in-action Supreme Leader has been tracked down by Israel, a security official has claimed.
Mojtaba Khamenei hasn’t been seen since he took over as leader after US-Israeli strikes killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on February 28.
Khamenei issued a defiant statement carried by state-controlled media on Thursday, vowing to avenge the deaths of Iranians.
Yet he has still not appeared on video or in public – Tehran officials said Khamenei’s legs were hurt in a strike on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump suggested that Khamenei is dead during an interview with NBC News over the weekend.
‘So far, nobody’s been able to show him,’ he told the American broadcaster.
Yet an Israeli official told the Daily Mail yesterday: ‘We know where he is.’
They cautioned against reading Iranian news channels amid reports that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has died of a heart attack.
Experts have also cast doubt on the new Ayotollah’s statement, suggesting Iranian figures may have delivered them in his name. Rumours have even swirled that the leader has flown to Russia.
Iran has dismissed these claims, saying that Khamenei is sheltering at a highly secure location with limited communication.
Revealing his location would put him in danger, with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying he is in ‘good health’ yesterday.
He added to The New Arab: ‘The timing of televised messages or direct appearances before the people is his prerogative.’
Khamenei was appointed leader earlier this month by the Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 senior clerics
Reports initially said Khamenei had died in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran – he survived but his parents and wife were killed.
At his inauguration, a cardboard cutout with his image was used.
The American-Israeli air war against Iran, now in its third week, has so far killed more than 2,000 people, mainly Iranian and Lebanese civilians.
With few signs that the conflict will be over anytime soon, oil prices have surged as ships cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a channel in the Persian Gulf that carries a fifth of the world’s oil.
Prices at the pump have become so eye-watering that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced £53,000,000 in support for some households.
Cyprus has been pounded by drones, striking a British air base, with European leaders sending warships to the country.
Gulf nations have been dragged into the war, with Iran launching attacks against Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Restaurants and universities across South Asia, especially in India and Bangladesh, meanwhile, have closed to conserve fuel.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Latest UK Foreign Office advice ahead of Easter holidays
MORE: Is it safe to travel to Dubai? Latest UK Foreign Office after drone strike near airport
MORE: Dubai isn’t just arresting influencers – three held for sharing bomb pictures privately