Donald Trump says Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei 'seriously wounded' on body, arm and leg

 Donald Trump has issued a major update on the condition of Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, amid speculation he could be dead. The President is reported to have told US media that he does not think Iran's Supreme Leader has died.

Mr Trump told The Glen Beck Program that Mr Khamenei "was very seriously wounded, left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing was seriously wounded". The US leader added: "I don't think he is dead... If he is dead, they are putting on a pretty good show because they are talking about going back to talk to him all the time to get his final blessings."

His comments came amid speculation over the Iranian leader's life. Mr Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader almost six months ago after the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli attack.

But he rarely appears in public. Mr Khamenei hosted a wake for his predecessor last week, despite being absent from the event in Tehran.

Mr Khamenei was injured in the strikes which killed his father, whose funeral he did not attend. It has not been possible to independently verify Mr Trump's claim.

Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaght, a former official and relative of Mr Khamenei told The Atlantic magazine that fewer than five people have met with Iran's leader since he took over "due to security precautions".

Iran's leader is very likely a target for the US and Israel so a public appearance could give away his location.

Meanwhile, Iran will not allow military vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz under an agreement the Islamic Republic is currently negotiating with Oman.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on a new framework for managing ship traffic in the Strait which would exclude military vessels from traversing the vital waterway.

Commercial shipping traffic into the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iran's waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman's territorial waters.

The Trump administration told Oman it opposed parts of the evolving deal, including the joint Iranian and Omani management of the exit route out of the passage that's critical to global supplies of oil and natural gas.

Mr Trump last week threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way".