Marco Rubio believes Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and 'increasingly involved' in negotiations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday that he believes Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and playing an expanding role in negotiations aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio noted the absence of Khamenei from public view, suggesting internal security concerns within the Iranian regime. "We haven't seen him in public, and I imagine that, given what has happened to several leaders of the regime, being very visible publicly is probably not something that is recommended internally," the top U.S. diplomat said during a Senate hearing.

Despite the lack of public appearances, Rubio indicated that there are signs pointing to Khamenei's growing involvement. "That said, I think there are indications that he is increasingly involved, in some way, in all communications, both in texts and through intermediaries," Rubio added. Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader after the latter's assassination on February 28, during the initial day of an offensive launched by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.