CBS News published a report on Sunday, citing U.S intelligence, stating that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was living in an undisclosed location with limited access to the outside world.
U.S officials, familiar with the issue, told CBS News that Khamenei could only be reached by a network of couriers, making it difficult for Iranian officials, who work with the Trump administration, to communicate within the government system. This is described as the key reason why the negotiation process to end the war has been slow.
According to two officials, when the United States sends a proposal, there is a long delay in receiving a response due to the difficulty in reaching Khamenei.
The report also said that even top-ranking officials of the Iranian government are not aware of his whereabouts and could not contact him directly.
One of the U.S officials said that the American and Israeli intelligence received from the Iranian government made it possible to locate and kill many senior Iranian leaders during the war that began on February 28.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s father and former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in the joint U.S-Irael mission Operation Epic Fury. According to reports, the newly appointed Supreme Leader was also injured in the operation and has been taking extreme steps to avoid similar strikes.
The White House declined to comment on the information regarding the Supreme Leader’s location or Iran’s communication methods.
Khamenei has not made a public appearance since coming to power. However, his orders are routinely reported by Iranian media.
There continues to be increased level of speculations on Khamenei’s health and who runs the Iranian government since the war. Previous news reports from various sources claimed thar the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have taken de-facto control over the nation, being in charge of key state functions.
