Amid the ongoing Iran–Israel conflict, rumours circulating on social media and in political circles about the alleged deaths of Mojtaba Khamenei and Benjamin Netanyahu have drawn international attention as the war enters its third week.
Mojtaba Khamenei ‘injured’, rumours dismissed: US President Donald Trump said he was unsure about the status of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid claims he was injured during recent US-Israel strikes.
Speaking to NBC News, Trump said, “I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” though he described reports of Khamenei’s death as a “rumour.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier claimed Mojtaba was “injured” and “disfigured” in the strikes, while Iranian officials reportedly said he had suffered a leg injury.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the speculation, stating that the Supreme Leader “is in complete health and safety and is fully managing the situation.”
According to Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, Mojtaba was reportedly flown to Moscow for surgery after being injured in airstrikes, with the procedure allegedly offered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘I am dead… for coffee’, says Netanyahu: Meanwhile, Netanyahu posted a video on X after rumours circulated online claiming he had been killed in an Iranian strike.
In the clip, he jokingly said, “I am dead… for coffee,” using a Hebrew phrase meaning he loves something very much. Addressing claims that a recent video showed him with six fingers—allegedly generated using artificial intelligence—Netanyahu raised both hands and said: “Do you want to count my fingers?”
The war between Israel and Iran has entered its 16th day. The Pentagon said US and Israeli forces have struck more than 15,000 targets across Iran.