Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is staying in an undisclosed location with limited contact with the outside world, US intelligence officials say, according to CBS News.
Officials told CBS News that messages to the leader are passed through a network of couriers, which has slowed communication within Iran’s leadership and affected ongoing talks with the United States.
“When the US sends proposed details, there can be a long delay before we receive a response,” officials said.
‘Only reached through a network of couriers’
According to the report, even senior Iranian officials do not know the leader’s location and cannot contact him directly.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in US and Israeli strikes in Operation Epic Fury, is taking extreme measures to avoid the strikes similar to the ones that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran from 1989 until Feb. 28. Mojtaba Khamenei has not been officially seen or heard in public since before the start of the war.
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Instead, information is relayed through intermediaries. One official said this means that “every piece of information he receives is dated and there’s a lot of latency to his responses”.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment on intelligence related to the leader’s whereabouts or communication methods.
‘Agreed to the contours’
A senior US administration official said the supreme leader has agreed in principle to the outline of a possible deal, while final details are still under discussion.
US President Donald Trump has said he expects a final decision in the coming days.
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Leaders operating under restrictions
US officials said many Iranian leaders are working under tight security, often staying in fortified locations and limiting contact with each other.
“Watching them try to figure out how to talk to each other is almost like watching a sitcom. They are completely exasperated,” one official said.
The supreme leader has given broad guidance on what can and cannot be negotiated, leaving officials to manage discussions within those limits.
