Wounded Khamenei could secretly guide Iran talks with US — CNN
Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (Getty Images)
US intelligence believes that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be involved in shaping Tehran’s strategy for negotiations with the US aimed at ending the war, according to CNN.
According to estimates by US intelligence agencies cited by the network’s sources, Khamenei is involved in shaping Iran’s military and negotiating strategy alongside high-ranking regime officials.
At the same time, intelligence officials acknowledge that the power structure in Tehran remains chaotic and fragmented following the change in the supreme leader.
Khamenei’s health
Mojtaba Khamenei became Iran’s new supreme leader after his father was killed in an attack at the start of the war. He himself was also wounded at the time and has not appeared in public since. This has sparked numerous rumors regarding his health and his actual influence on the country’s governance.
According to CNN, US intelligence has still been unable to confirm his whereabouts. Sources claim that Khamenei does not use electronic means of communication but communicates only through in-person meetings or couriers.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader continues to receive treatment for severe burns that affected part of his face, an arm, his torso, and a leg.
Despite this, Iranian officials insist that Khamenei is in good condition. Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol for the Supreme Leader’s office, states that the Supreme Leader sustained minor injuries to his foot and lower back and that a small piece of shrapnel struck him behind the ear, but that he is now fully recovered.
"The enemy is spreading all kinds of rumors and false claims. They want to see him and find him, but people should be patient and not rush. He will speak to you when the time is right," Hosseini says.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced this week that he had held a two-hour meeting with Khamenei. This was the first confirmed face-to-face meeting between the new supreme leader and a high-ranking official since the change in leadership.
Who makes decisions
In the US, meanwhile, there are doubts about the extent to which Khamenei actually controls the decision-making process. Some US intelligence analysts suggest that other members of the Iranian elite may be using his name to advance their own agendas.
According to US intelligence assessments, representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is considered one of the key figures in contacts with Washington, currently wield significant influence in the country.
US-Iran talks
Amid attempts to resume negotiations, the US and Iran have stepped up diplomatic contacts through intermediaries. Earlier, US Vice President JD Vance met with the Prime Minister of Qatar to discuss possible ways to end the conflict and Doha’s role in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
In addition, according to Axios, the parties are already working on a one-page, 14-point memorandum on ending the war in the Middle East.
As early as next week, representatives from the US and Iran may hold a new round of talks in Islamabad.
