Where is Mojtaba Khamenei? Rubio says Iran's supreme leader is alive, involved in state affairs
Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and increasingly taking part in the country’s affairs despite remaining out of public view since taking office, US state secretary Marco Rubio has said.
There were signs that Khamenei, who was wounded in US-Israeli attacks on Iran earlier this year, was playing a more active role behind the scenes, Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“I think there are indications out there that he is increasingly engaging at some level,” Rubio told lawmakers. Track updates about the war on Iran here
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Assassination of Ali Khamenei
Khamenei, 56, was crowned Supreme Leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was assassinated by the US and Israel in the first wave of strikes on February 28.
Retaliatory Iranian attacks on American bases in the Gulf quickly spiralled into a regional war, which currently remains under a tenuous ceasefire. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has also led to a global energy crunch.
Mojtaba Khamenei is now reportedly sheltering at a secret location under heavy security. Despite remaining unseen since the US-Israeli strikes that killed his father and left him injured, he is said to be directing state affairs through encrypted audio communications and an extensive courier network.
US-Iran peace talks stall
Rubio’s comments came as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain deadlocked. He said Washington still sees an opening for an agreement with Tehran. Trump earlier said that a new deal was expected “over the next week.”
“There is the prospect before us, which could happen today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week,” Rubio said.
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Strait of Hormuz a bargaining chip
The US secretary of state outlined conditions that Iran would have to meet before any sanctions relief could be considered. Chief among them is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.
“They have to announce very clearly ‘The straits are now open, we’re not charging a toll’. We will help remove the mines that they put in there, and they will not fire on ships,” Rubio said.
“They have to agree on negotiating severe and long-term limitations and/or cancellation of enrichment activity,” he added.
Linking sanctions relief directly to Tehran’s nuclear activities, Rubio added, “Iran is being sanctioned because they’ve highly enriched uranium, Iran is being sanctioned because of their nuclear activities, if they agree to give up those things, there will be sanctions relief.”
Trump slams Netanyahu over Lebanon bombing
US President Donald Trump earlier seemed confident about a deal to extend the truce and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, though, has suspended talks through mediators over Israel’s ongoing offensive in Lebanon and insists bombardments must stop before negotiations can proceed.
Trump reportedly clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a heated phone call and criticised Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon.