Hegseth calls Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement weak

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  • 13 March, 2026
  • 17:42
Hegseth calls Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement weak

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has called the first address from Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei weak, Report informs.

The defence secretary says: "We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured. He put out a statement yesterday – a weak one actually – but there was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement. He called for unity… apparently killing tens of thousands of protesters is his kind of unity." Hegseth questions why the supreme leader issued a written statement, adding: "I think you know why."