Overview
- U.S. intelligence officials told CBS and other outlets that Mojtaba Khamenei is sequestered in an undisclosed, heavily guarded location and is reached mainly through a layered network of couriers.
- The courier system makes messages dated and responses slow which U.S. officials say has materially delayed negotiations over a draft agreement with Washington.
- A senior U.S. administration official said the supreme leader approved the broad contours of the current draft and President Trump said he expects a near-term decision, but final sign-off has been slowed by the communications bottleneck.
- Reports say the secrecy follows U.S.- and Israeli-led strikes, including the Feb. 28 operation that officials say killed former supreme leader Ali Khamenei and wounded Mojtaba, prompting Iran’s leaders to shelter in fortified bunkers.
- Independent verification is limited as Mojtaba has made no confirmed public appearances and Iranian state media have released only short undated footage, while U.S. and Israeli intelligence activity inside Iran is cited as a reason for the extreme precautions.