US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed there is a “good probability” that he knows the whereabouts of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, while also saying the Iranian leader is “very seriously injured”, according to an interview with NBC News.
Trump was asked whether he knew Khamenei’s location or health status. He replied, “I don’t want to say whether or not I know where he is, but there’s a good probability that I do.”
Pressed further on whether Khamenei was inside Iran, Trump declined to answer. “I’d rather not say that,” he said.
Trump also commented on Khamenei’s condition, stating he was “pretty badly injured” and “very seriously injured”, but added that there was “a certain bravery” in his continued public remarks.
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“He’s pretty badly injured. So there’s a certain bravery there. A lot of people, if they were injured that badly, they wouldn’t be talking about, you know, how we’re doing with the United States. They’d have other things on their mind,” Trump said.
He also described Mojtaba Khamenei as “more rational” than his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“Younger. I think more rational. Injured. He’s pretty badly injured,” Trump said.
On the issue of Iran’s frozen assets, Trump said any potential deal would not include immediate release of funds.
He said a peace agreement “comes first” and added that future engagement with Tehran would depend on its conduct.
“If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking,” he said.
Trump also said he was not insisting that Lebanon be included in any short-term arrangement with Tehran.
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