Trump says Iran's newly appointed supreme leader is 'probably alive in some form'

President Donald Trump said he believes Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive despite reports of injuries sustained during U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Iranian regime's top leadership.

In an interview with Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade, to be aired Friday on "The Brian Kilmeade Show," the president was asked about the state of health of Khamenei, the second son of the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

“I think he probably is [alive]. I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump said.

The statements come amid rumors about the state of health of Mojtaba Khamenei after the bombings that, according to various reports, left the Iranian leader wounded and even in a possible coma.

Meanwhile, through a statement, Khamenei himself issued a message addressed to the Iranian people in which he assured that the country will not back down in the conflict.

“We will not refrain from avenging the blood of your martyrs,” the Iranian leader said in a statement released by state-sponsored media.

Trump also argued that the military offensive has significantly weakened Iranian military capabilities, particularly in the naval realm.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. ... They have no navy, we sunk all their ships," the president said, referring to the safety of maritime traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The president also accused Tehran of targeting thousands of missiles against several Middle Eastern countries in the months leading up to the conflict, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. According to Trump, those countries "had reason to be afraid," although he assured that the situation has changed following the strikes by the U.S.