Rubio Believes Iran's 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 escalating role in negotiations with Washington. Khamenei assumed leadership following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, on February 28, marking the start of an offensive by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

Rubio indicated that Khamenei's lack of public appearances might be a security measure, given the risks faced by other regime officials. "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," Rubio said during a Senate hearing. He added, "That said, I think there are indications that he is increasingly involved, in some way, in all communications, both in texts and through intermediaries."

The U.S. State Department suspects Khamenei may have been disfigured in an attack, while President Donald Trump has previously suggested he might be dead. The Iranian regime's fragmentation is so severe, Rubio explained, that it takes three to five days to respond to each proposal from the United States, conveyed through Pakistani mediators. The U.S. also perceives communication issues within the regime itself, affecting both high-ranking officials and battlefield commanders.

Despite these challenges, Rubio expressed confidence in resuming talks with Iran to reach an agreement that ends the war and secures the Strait of Hormuz. However, addressing Iran's nuclear program limitations will require "highly technical" negotiations that could extend for months, he noted.

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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. That said, I think there are indications that he is increasingly involved, in some way, in all communications, both in texts and through intermediaries.