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 statement pledging 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."

His comments followed a written message released by Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday, in which the cleric vowed to continue the war despite the escalating conflict in the region.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times....