India, March 13 -- United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday that Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is "wounded and likely disfigured," a day after the cleric issued a written statement vowing to continue the war.

Speaking on Friday, Hegseth said, "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."

"Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father's dead. He's scared. He's injured. He's on the run. And he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them. Who's in charge? Iran may not...