U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he believes Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive but seriously injured. Khamenei has not appeared in public since the start of the war in Iran. An Iranian official earlier told Reuters that the leader had sustained only minor injuries and continued to perform his official duties.

In an interview with Fox News, recorded Thursday and aired Friday morning, Trump reiterated his view that Khamenei survived but was gravely hurt. The remarks come amid heightened tensions following the outbreak of war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.

In his first address after assuming office, Mojtaba Khamenei declared that Iran would not retreat from its conflict with the United States and Israel. He vowed to avenge the blood of martyrs and pledged to keep the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz closed.