US President Donald Trump has said he believes Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is probably still alive but may have been seriously injured following the recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Khamenei might have been “damaged” during the attacks.

“I think he probably is. I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form,” Trump told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade.

His remarks came after Iranian state television aired a statement attributed to Khamenei on Thursday, marking his first message since assuming the role of supreme leader.

Earlier this week, Iran’s ambassador to Cyprus told The Guardian that Khamenei had been injured in the February 28 strikes that killed his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, along with several members of his family.

The ambassador’s comments echoed earlier reports in US media that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the attacks.