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CNN has come under fire for broadcasting four uninterrupted minutes of Iranian state television, which featured what is claimed to be the first statement from Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
This announcement was read by an Iranian news anchor and aired on CNN Central News on Thursday afternoon, reaching audiences in the United States.
Speculation regarding Mojtaba’s health continues as he chose not to appear on camera to deliver the message himself. This absence has fueled rumors that he may be in a coma or has suffered a severe injury, potentially losing a leg, following recent US-Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of his father, the former Ayatollah.
In his address, Mojtaba referred to himself as the ‘leader of the Islamic Republic’ and spoke to both the Iranian people and its military forces. An English translation provided to viewers highlighted his commitment to avenge the ‘blood of its martyrs,’ clearly conveying an anti-American sentiment.
The message took on an anti-American tone, as he vowed Iran would avenge the ‘blood of its martyrs.’Â
The decision to air the unfiltered message was met with fury by viewers who noted that the liberal network will frequently cut away from Donald Trump’s speeches.
The White House’s Rapid Response account also blasted ‘fake news CNN’ for having aired ‘four straight minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV.’
Trump administration officials added that the message broadcast came from ‘the same psychotic and murderous regime that has prided itself on brutally slaughtering Americans for 47 years.’Â
CNN broadcasted the first purported message from Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday
The new Supreme Leader took over from his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the latter’s assassination on February 28 as a result of US-Israeli airstrikes.
Mojtaba said attacks on US bases in the region would continue, as he sought to calm down neighboring Middle Eastern nations.
‘We are not an enemy of the countries around us, and we are only targeting the bases of those Americans,’ Mojtaba said.
Online commenters quickly pointed out that CNN has often cut away from full speeches by US President Donald Trump, but were not doing so for Mojtaba’s first.
One X user wrote: ‘They’ll pre-empt Trump speeches to whine about what he’s saying, but the Iranian ‘Supreme Leader?’ He gets uninterrupted airtime. Just wild.’
Another user also contrasted CNN’s coverage of Trump to the breaking news about Iran’s new leader.
‘When is the last time they let Trump talk for four minutes without interrupting him?’ the user asked.
Mojtaba was named as the Islamic Republic’s next ruler after US-Israeli airstrikes killed his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
It is still not known whether Mojtaba was injured in the same US-Israeli airstrikes that killed his dad
In his purported message, Mojtaba hinted that Iran’s proxies in the region could support his nation against the US and Israel.
He claimed that armed groups in Iraq ‘want to help’ Iran, while those in Yemen ‘will also do the job.’
The new Iranian leader’s statement also touched on the death of his father, as well as other family members.
‘I lost my father, I lost my wife,’ Mojtaba said. ‘My sister lost her child as well as the husband who has been martyred.’
‘But what makes it easier for us to endure all these plights is to trust the grace of God and to know that patience is going to resolve it,’ he added.
Mojtaba is said to be in intensive care at the Sina University Hospital in Tehran.
It remains unclear whether he was injured in the same US-Israeli airstrikes that killed his authoritarian father.
Iran’s third Supreme Leader is considered to be more extreme than his predecessor.
People gather in a rally to support Mojtaba Khamenei, on March 9 in Tehran. The new Supreme Leader has not been seen since being named Iran’s new leader
Mojtaba is said to be in intensive care at the Sina University Hospital in Tehran, with rumors that he could have lost a leg or be in a comaÂ
He was confirmed as the regime’s new head on Sunday after being selected by an 88-person assembly.
Thousands took part in a rally at Tehran’s Enghelab Square, pledging allegiance to Mojtaba as they chanted ‘Death to America, death to Israel.’
The war entered its thirteenth day on Thursday, as the worldwide economy reels from the spike in oil prices with Iran keeping the Strait of Hormuz shut.
The Daily Mail has reached out to CNN for comment.Â