The absent supreme leader fuels further controversy with a new message
A new message attributed to Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei has intensified speculation regarding his fate.
Khamenei’s son has not appeared publicly since February 28, when the American-Israeli war against Iran began, a conflict during which his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was killed.
Since succeeding his father, Iranians have neither seen their new leader nor heard his voice directly. Instead, he has addressed the public only through messages attributed to him and published by Iranian state media.
In his latest message marking Eid al-Adha, Mojtaba Khamenei continued issuing threats against the United States, even as Iranian officials are currently negotiating with Washington in an effort to reach an agreement to end the war, which was temporarily halted through a ceasefire on April 8.
American media reports attributed the delay in reaching an agreement to end the conflict to Mojtaba Khamenei’s alleged concealment in a secret location out of fear of being targeted, as well as to the difficulty of communication between him and Iranian officials.
The American network CBS News quoted informed U.S. officials as saying that the Iranian leader is effectively confined in a hidden location, with only limited access to the outside world, and that he can only be reached through a complex network of intermediaries.
Iranian officials authorized to engage with the administration of Donald Trump are reportedly facing difficulties communicating within their own governmental system, which is said to be the primary reason behind the slow emergence of details regarding a possible agreement with Iran as well as previous arrangements.
Two American officials stated that “when the United States sends proposed details, the difficulty in reaching Mojtaba Khamenei may result in a lengthy delay before Washington receives a response.”
Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly injured in American and Israeli strikes carried out on the first day of the war on February 28, strikes that also led to the death of his father, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
