Donald Trump ‘hearing’ Iran’s new Ayatollah is ‘not alive’ as Tehran urged to surrender

The Iranian leader has not been seen in public since the airstrike that killed his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei.

During an interview with NBC, the US President said: “I’m hearing he’s not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that’s surrender."

He added: “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him."

Mr Trump also revealed that the Islamic Republic is attempting to enter into negotiations to bring the conflict to an end.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet," he said.

His remarks come after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the new Ayatollah was "wounded and likely disfigured".

He also blasted a written statement - which the Islamic Republic claimed was from Mr Khamenei - as a "weak one".

The War Secretary said: “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement?

"I think you know why. His father: dead; he’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy."

Despite rumours that the Supreme Leader is severely injured or dead, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, insisted on Saturday there was "no problem" with him.

He claimed Mr Khamenei "sent his message yesterday, and he will perform his duties".

After his appointment by Iran’s "Assembly of Experts", Mr Trump said he was “not happy” with the move and that the Islamic Republic had made a “big mistake”.

The President said at the time: "We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran."

Mr Trump has previously insisted that any future leader of the Middle Eastern country would need the "approval" of the US.

When asked whether there was a candidate he would prefer to become the next Supreme Leader, he said: “We have people that are living that would be great leaders for the future of the country.”

Despite never holding a formal position within his father’s regime, it is widely believed Mr Khamenei wielded significant influence within the Islamic Republic’s political and security circles before his appointment.

He was also reportedly identified by insiders as a potential target for a US strike in the days leading up to the war.

In January, a Bloomberg investigation linked the 56-year-old to an offshore financial network used to hold and move assets outside Iran.

The reported holdings included high-value real estate in London and Dubai, though many of the assets are said to have been sold or restructured following the investigation.

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