Mojtaba Khamenei in Secret Bunker, Only Contactable by Courier

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly holed up in a highly secure secret bunker. His whereabouts are cited as the reason for the delay in announcing the much-anticipated potential peace deal between Iran and the United States (US).

New information regarding the Supreme Leader’s location, as reported by Al Arabiya on Tuesday (26 May 2026), comes from US media outlet CBS News, which cited US officials with intelligence knowledge on Iran.

Iranian authorities have not directly responded to the report based on US officials’ statements.

According to CBS News, US officials with intelligence knowledge stated that Mojtaba is ‘effectively hiding’ in a classified location with limited outside access.

The cited US officials added that Mojtaba can only be contacted through a complex network of intermediaries or couriers, slowing Iran’s response to US proposals.

CBS News also reported that Iranian officials involved in negotiations with the US administration of President Donald Trump are struggling to communicate within their own government system, slowing progress in peace talks.

A senior US administration official, who spoke anonymously to CBS News, said Mojtaba has approved the broad outline of the current draft agreement.

Meanwhile, Trump stated in a Truth Social post that he expects a final decision within days.

Iranian authorities confirmed that their Supreme Leader sustained injuries in the initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February. The same attack killed Mojtaba’s father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the previous Supreme Leader.

Since the war erupted and he was announced as Iran’s new Supreme Leader in early March, Mojtaba has not been seen or heard from publicly.

Mojtaba has so far issued instructions or statements in writing, relayed through Iranian state media.