Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public for months, is "completely" healthy. This was stated by the President of the Islamic Republic, Masoud Pezeshkian, quoted by the newspaper "Hill".
His words were in connection with reports that Khamenei may have died or is brain dead.
Khamenei's condition has been in question since reports emerged that he was seriously injured in the US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, which killed his father and his predecessor as Supreme Leader - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - as well as several members of his family.
The younger Khamenei is believed to have gone into hiding and has not been seen in public since he was chosen as the next Supreme Leader of the regime.
When asked when he last saw Khamenei in person, the Iranian president said that the two met "about a month ago" and they "had conversations".
"I don't remember the dates. About a month, a month and a half ago", Pezeshkian noted. "We met for about seven hours".
Asked about Khamenei's health and whether he was fit to rule, the president replied: "Absolutely, without a doubt". He added that his government is receiving instructions and consulting with Khamenei.
When asked why the supreme leader has not yet addressed the public since the start of the war, Pezeshkian explained his absence from the public sphere with the "lack of security created by the actions of foreigners," whom he called "aggressors".
Earlier, in response to media speculation that Khamenei may have died or is brain dead, President Donald Trump dismissed the information, stating that he did not believe the supreme leader had died.
"He was very badly wounded, but I don't think he's dead", Trump commented.
"If he's dead, they're putting on a pretty good show because they're constantly they're talking about going back to him to get his final approval on things," he added.
Trump said Khamenei had suffered very serious wounds from the blows to the "left side of his body - arm, leg, everything".