US officials comment on condition of Iran's new supreme leader

President Donald Trump said he believes Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive but 'damaged'. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin separately stated the leader is 'likely disfigured'.

These comments came amid conflicting reports about Khamenei's condition, with some UK media reporting he was in a coma just hours before he released his first public message. The US officials' statements represent the initial American reaction to the new Iranian leader's first public appearance.