By Gareth Vipers
Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly appointed supreme leader of Iran, was seriously wounded in an Israeli strike, according to Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence.
"He was injured very severely through one of the Israeli strikes and so the decision making is unclear about what's happening in the Iranian leadership," Gabbard told the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
Earlier reports from the U.S. suggested Khamenei's injuries had caused some confusion within the Iranian regime. On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: "Who's in charge? Iran may not even know."
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 11:04 ET (15:04 GMT)
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