US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran has deployed about 1,200 missiles targeting several Middle Eastern countries, as tensions rise following fresh threats from Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei.Speaking in an interview on Fox’s The Brian Kilmeade Show, Trump alleged that Tehran was preparing to dominate the region militarily.“Iran had fired thousands of missiles at all these Middle Eastern countries in the last four months,” he said.“They were going to take over the Middle East, they were going to control all of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia,” Trump said. He said Iran had “1,200 missiles aimed at these countries.”
The comments came shortly after Khamenei issued a statement on Thursday in which he indicated that Iran would not back down from its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.“We will not shy away from avenging the blood of your martyrs,” Khamenei said in a message addressed to the Iranian nation.The statement came after reports that Khamenei was injured and possibly in a coma following the US-Israeli attacks on a compound in Tehran on February 28, which killed his father.Trump also suggested that Khamenei may still be alive despite speculation over his condition.“I think he probably is. I think he’s damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump told Brian Kilmeade in an interview to air at 10.06am (local time) on Friday.Addressing concerns about maritime security in the region, Trump said ships should continue to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.“Pass through the Strait of Hormuz and show some courage,” he said, adding, “There is nothing to fear. They have no navy and we sank all their ships.”His comments come amid heightened tensions in the region following recent military exchanges and growing uncertainty over Iran’s leadership following the attacks.